Mlle Rousseau dans l'Africaine

Art Historical Context

In 1865, French photographer André-Adolpheugène Disdéri *Mlle Rousseau dans l'Africaine*, an albumen silver print from a glass negative that immortalizes the performer Mlle. Rousseau in costume from Giacomo Meyerbeer's grand opera *L'Africaine*. Premiered that same year in Paris, opera's exotic tale of love and adventure in 16th-century Portugal and India enthralled audiences, and Disdéri's image reflects the era's fascination with theatrical stardom. Measuring about 7⅜ × 9¼ inches, this photograph likely originated as a *carte de visite*—a pocket-sized portrait format Disdéri himself invented in 1854, sparking a collecting frenzy akin to modern trading cards for celebrities. Disdéri's mastery of the wet-collodion process on glass negatives produced remarkably sharp, detailed images, with the albumen coating yielding rich tones and fine gradations. This technique was pivotal in elevating photography from novelty to art, especially for documenting the performing arts. As part of the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Gilman Collection, the print highlights how 19th-century photography bridged visual culture and popular entertainment, preserving fleeting moments of cultural splendor for posterity. (198 words)

About the Artist

André-Adolphe-Eugène Disdéri · 1819–1889

**André-Adolphe-Eugène Disdéri** (1819–1889) was a pioneering French photographer whose innovations transformed portraiture into a mass medium during the Second Empire. Born on March 28, 1819, in Paris, Disdéri pursued diverse careers in commerce, acting, and politics early on, while studying art amid personal hardships following his father's death, which compelled him to support his mother, sibli...