Nadar elevating Photography to Art

Honoré Daumier created this lithograph of Nadar elevating photography to art, using a greasy crayon on lithographic stone. The process involves drawing, treating the stone with acid, inking and printing from the flat surface. The density of the lithographic ink describes the aerial view of Paris, dominated by buildings advertising photography, and in the foreground, Nadar photographing from a hot air balloon. The balloon is visually weighty, as is Nadar, and both are created with dense strokes. It shows Nadar's ambition to take photography to new heights, literally and figuratively. Daumier, a master of the medium, worked in series to capture the everyday life of 19th century France. His attention to materials reflects the rise of consumer culture at this time, while also challenging the fine art establishment. Ultimately, it is this approach to lithography, rather than high art, that enables Daumier to elevate photography to art.