A review by fromtheyellowchair
The Great Nadar: The Man Behind the Camera by Adam Begley
4.0
Félix Tournachon, or Nadar as he is better known, was a forward thinking photographer, caricaturist, writer, and balloonist in 1800′s France. He ran in bohemian circles that included legendary figures such as Victor Hugo, Alexandre Dumas, and countless others. Always described to be larger than life, Nadar is deserving of a biography to match. The Great Nadar is an interesting and engrossing read mainly for it’s subject matter, often feeling dry and slow.
Nadar played many roles throughout his life. This biography focused mainly on his exploits in portrait photography, which is what I found to be the most interesting. Begley spent a disproportionate amount of time describing various figures from the Paris bohemian and literary society who crossed paths with Nadar, giving unnecessary backstories and bios. Celebrity was clearly an important part of his life and career but reading back to back retellings of long forgotten historical figures was drudgery.
Regardless, this is a worthwhile read for anyone with an interest in photography or 19th century France. Nadar’s life and work is important and endlessly interesting. His portraits are still breathtaking, especially considering the equipment available at the time. The Great Nadar is full of photos and sketches along with descriptions of how they were made and insightful criticisms and descriptions. The author effectively contextualizes Nadar’s work both as an artist and an advocate for air travel, showing the reader how influential his career really was.
Although unbalanced, I still enjoyed reading this story of such an important photographer who I had previously never heard of.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
Nadar played many roles throughout his life. This biography focused mainly on his exploits in portrait photography, which is what I found to be the most interesting. Begley spent a disproportionate amount of time describing various figures from the Paris bohemian and literary society who crossed paths with Nadar, giving unnecessary backstories and bios. Celebrity was clearly an important part of his life and career but reading back to back retellings of long forgotten historical figures was drudgery.
Regardless, this is a worthwhile read for anyone with an interest in photography or 19th century France. Nadar’s life and work is important and endlessly interesting. His portraits are still breathtaking, especially considering the equipment available at the time. The Great Nadar is full of photos and sketches along with descriptions of how they were made and insightful criticisms and descriptions. The author effectively contextualizes Nadar’s work both as an artist and an advocate for air travel, showing the reader how influential his career really was.
Although unbalanced, I still enjoyed reading this story of such an important photographer who I had previously never heard of.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.