Eugène Labiche
c. 1876
Medium
Woodburytype, from the periodical “Galerie Contemporaine Littéraire, Artistique” (1879), volume 8
Dimensions
Image, oval: 19 × 14.6 cm (7 1/2 × 5 3/4 in.); Mount: 34 × 26 cm (13 7/16 × 10 1/4 in.)
Classification
woodburytype
Department
Photography and Media
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
143393
Art Historical Context
This elegant woodburytype portrait captures Eugène Labiche, the celebrated French playwright known for his witty comedies, around 1876. Created by Ferdinand J. Mulnier, the oval image was later published in the 1879 volume of the influential periodical “Galerie Contemporaine Littéraire, Artistique.” Such publications brought together leading literary and artistic figures of the day, offering readers high-quality photographic reproductions that helped shape public appreciation of contemporary culture. The woodburytype process, prized in the late nineteenth century for its rich tonal range and ...