Man with Walking Stick

From the museum

Auguste Giraudon was an important Parisian publisher of photographs. During the 1870s, he commissioned one or more artists—probably a French painter who wished to remain anonymous—to create photographs of peasants. Now called Giraudon’s Artist, this photographer was one of the few in the 1800s specializing in rural figure studies created for use by artists. The images were likely taken near Barbizon, a destination popular with artists who wanted to work from nature. The artistry of these images derives from their skillful use of light, ability to render a subject in the landscape, and a perceptive depiction of human dignity. Auguste Giraudon was not a photographer but an important Parisian publisher of photographs.

The museum’s own description, in English. Licence: CC0