Antoine Samuel Adam-Salomon (9 January 1818 – 28 April 1881) was a French

sculptor Sculpture is the branch of the visual arts that operates in three dimensions. Sculpture is the three-dimensional art work which is physically presented in the dimensions of height, width and depth. It is one of the plastic arts. Durable sc ...

and

photographer A photographer (the Greek φῶς (''phos''), meaning "light", and γραφή (''graphê''), meaning "drawing, writing", together meaning "drawing with light") is a person who makes photographs. Duties and types of photographers As in other ...

Early career

Antoine Samuel Adam-Salomon was born to a French Jewish family on 9 January 1818 in La Ferté-sous-Jouarre, Seine-et-Marne, France. His father, Nathan-Herschel Salomon, intended for Antoine to have a career as a merchant. Following a brief career as a modeler for the Jacob Petit pottery factory in Fontainebleau, he received a scholarship to study sculpture in Paris. He also traveled for studies to Switzerland and England. His notable sculptures include busts of

Victor Cousin Victor Cousin (; 28 November 179214 January 1867) was a French philosopher. He was the founder of "eclecticism", a briefly influential school of French philosophy that combined elements of German idealism and Scottish Common Sense Realism. As ...

Odilon Barrot Camille Hyacinthe Odilon Barrot (; 19 July 1791 – 6 August 1873) was a French politician who was briefly head of the council of ministers under President Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte in 1848–49. Early life Barrot was born at Villefort, Lozè ...

Pierre-Jean de Béranger Pierre-Jean de Béranger (19 August 178016 July 1857) was a prolific French poet and chansonnier ( songwriter), who enjoyed great popularity and influence in France during his lifetime, but faded into obscurity in the decades following his deat ...

Alphonse de Lamartine Alphonse Marie Louis de Prat de Lamartine (; 21 October 179028 February 1869), was a French author, poet, and statesman who was instrumental in the foundation of the Second Republic and the continuation of the Tricolore as the flag of France. ...

Gioachino Rossini Gioachino Antonio Rossini (29 February 1792 – 13 November 1868) was an Italian composer who gained fame for his 39 operas, although he also wrote many songs, some chamber music and piano pieces, and some sacred music. He set new standards ...

, and Marie Antoinette.

Photography

After becoming established as a sculptor, Adam-Salomon studied photography under the portraitist

Franz Hanfstaengl Franz Seraph Hanfstaengl (1 March 1804, in near Bad Tölz – 18 April 1877, in Munich) was a Bavarian painter, lithographer, and photographer. Life Hanfstaengl originated from a commoner family and in 1816 came on the recommendation of th ...

in Munich in 1858. He became a leading portrait photographer. Adam-Salomon returned to Paris where he opened a portrait studio in 1859. In 1865 he opened a second Paris studio. Adam-Salomon's portrait photographs were considered to be among the best existing works during his lifetime, and were renowned for their

chiaroscuro Chiaroscuro ( , ; ), in art, is the use of strong contrasts between light and dark, usually bold contrasts affecting a whole composition. It is also a technical term used by artists and art historians for the use of contrasts of light to achi ...

produced by special lighting techniques.

Awards

In 1870 Adam-Salomon was made a member of the

Société française de photographie The Société française de photographie (SFP) is an association, founded on 15 November 1854, devoted to the history of photography. It has a large collection of photographs and old cameras. Among the founding members were Olympe Aguado, Hippoly ...

. He received a

knight A knight is a person granted an honorary title of knighthood by a head of state (including the Pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the church or the country, especially in a military capacity. Knighthood finds origins in the Gr ...

hood in France's

Legion of Honour The National Order of the Legion of Honour (french: Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur), formerly the Royal Order of the Legion of Honour ('), is the highest French order of merit, both military and civil. Established in 1802 by Napoleon ...

the same year, by decree on 9 August 1870.

Significance

Photography as art

The photography of Adam-Salomon played a pivotal role in the mainstream acceptance of photography as an art form. For example, in 1858 the poet

described photography as "this chance invention which will never be art, but only a plagiarism of nature through a lens." A short time later, after seeing the photographs by Adam-Solomon, Lamartine changed his opinion.

Critical praise

Coverage of Salomon's work in the French press outnumbered that of

Félix Nadar Gaspard-Félix Tournachon (5 April 1820 – 20 March 1910), known by the pseudonym Nadar, was a French photographer, caricaturist, journalist, novelist, balloonist, and proponent of heavier-than-air flight. In 1858, he became the first person t ...

by a ratio of ten to one. After the

Paris Exposition of 1867 The International Exposition of 1867 (french: Exposition universelle 'art et d'industriede 1867), was the List of world expositions, second world's fair to be held in Paris, from 1 April to 3 November 1867. A number of nations were represente ...

, the reviewer for ''The Times'' (UK) described Salomon's pictures "matchless", "beyond praise," "the finest photographic portraits in the world." In the 1868 edition of the '' British Journal of Photography Almanac'', editor J. Traill Taylor wrote:

The important discovery of the past year has been that M. Adams-Salomon, a Parisian photographer, has produced portraits of so high class as to show us the true capabilities of photography, and how much we have yet to overcome ere similar perfection can be claimed for the works of our average artists. It is far from being pleasant to know that we are so far behind the Parisians; but, believing such to be the case, the knowledge of the fact will, without doubt, rouse English artists to a sense of their shortcomings and the particular direction in which progress must be made.

Selected works

Photography

Adam-Salomon is known for producing a number of photographic works: File:Philosophe by Antoine-Samuel Adam-Salomon.jpg, Philosophe File:Alphonse_Karr_by_Antoine_Samuel_Adam-Salomon,_c1876.jpg,

Alphonse Karr Jean-Baptiste Alphonse Karr (24 November 1808 – 29 September 1890) was a French critic, journalist, and novelist. Life Karr was born in Paris to German pianist and composer Henri Karr (1784–1842), and after being educated at the C ...

, French critic, journalist, and novelist. File:Charles_Garnier_architect.jpg, Charles Garnier, French architect. File:Lajos Kossuth by Adam-Salomon c1859.jpg, Lajos Kossuth, Hungarian politician and revolutionary. File:General_Giroflore_by_Adam-Salomon_c1859.jpg, Labeled as "General Giroflore", identity unknown. File:Antoine-Samuel Adam-Salomon - Lola Montez c1860 - (MeisterDrucke-148433).jpg, Said to be

Lola Montez Eliza Rosanna Gilbert, Countess of Landsfeld (17 February 1821 – 17 January 1861), better known by the stage name Lola Montez (), was an Irish dancer and actress who became famous as a Spanish dancer, courtesan, and mistress of King Ludwig ...

, Irish dancer, actress, and courtesan

Sculpture

Adam-Salomon is known for a number of sculptures:-

Edwin Chadwick a
National Portrait Gallery
Adam-Salomon's bust sculptures of
Elisabeth of Bavaria Duchess Elisabeth Amalie Eugenie in Bavaria (24 December 1837 – 10 September 1898) was Empress of Austria and Queen of Hungary from her marriage to Emperor Franz Joseph I on 24 April 1854 until her assassination in 1898. Elisabeth was ...
a
Sotheby's

Personal life

In 1850, Adam-Salomon married Georgine Cornélie Coutellier, a fellow artist. Coutellier was born a Christian, but converted to Judaism upon marrying Adam-Salomon, and embraced the Hebrew faith until her death in February 1878. They had no children together.

References

External links

Philadelphia Museum of Art
collection of 65 Adam-Salomon photographs {{DEFAULTSORT:Adamsolomon, Antoinesamuel 1818 births 1881 deaths People from La Ferté-sous-Jouarre 19th-century French Jews 19th-century French photographers 19th-century French sculptors French male sculptors Wikipedia articles incorporating text from the 1906 Jewish Encyclopedia Jewish sculptors Chevaliers of the Légion d'honneur 19th-century French male artists

Early career

Photography

Awards

Significance

Photography as art

Critical praise

Selected works

Photography

Sculpture

Personal life

See also

References

External links