Étienne Carjat

Etienne Carjat (1828-1906), Photographer.

A master of portraiture, Etienne Carjat is remembered for his simple and incisive portraits of literary and theatrical figures that appeared in the periodicals of the time. His ability to capture the personality of his subjects was equal to that of the best photographers of his day, bur Carjat has not enjoyed the ongoing reputation of his contemporaries. Carjat had been an actor, a journalist and a caricaturist before opening a photography studio in Paris in 1861. Although he achieved some recognition for his work, he was not successful financially and by 1876 had closed his studio. His portrait of the French author Charles Baudelaire is probably his most famous photograph. - NPG