Hermaphrodite
1860
Medium
Albumen silver print from glass negative
Dimensions
Image: 23.9 x 19.2 cm (9 7/16 x 7 9/16 in.)
Classification
Photographs
Department
Photographs
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Bequest of Robert Shapazian, 2010
Accession Number
2010.457.1
Tags
About this artwork
This photograph documents an intersex individual, representing one of nine images created by French photographer Nadar in 1860 that constitute probably the first medical photo-illustrations of a patient with intersex genitalia. The subject appears with a male build and stature and may have been assigned female or self-identified as female. Nadar approached this commission with the same technical mastery and dignified treatment of subjects that characterized his celebrated portrait work, creating...
Art Historical Context
In 1860, renowned French photographer Nadar (aspard-Félix Tournachon, 1820–1910) created *Hermaphrodite*, anen silver print from a negative—one of nine pioneering images documenting an intersex. This photograph captures a subject with a male build and, possibly assigned female or-identifying as such, marking what are likely the earliest medical photo-illustrations intersex genitalia. Possibly commissioned by physician Armand Tseau, the image exemplifies the dawn of photography in clinical practice, blending scientific precision with Nadar's signatureure style, known for its technical mastery a...