Gaspard-Felix Tournachon: An Analysis

The purpose of this paper is to explain how photography became an accepted form of art, as this was accomplished by Gaspard-Felix Tournachon. This was accomplished based on continuous experimentation of techniques to develop photographs, and how he had set up his environments to emphasize the subject and it’s beauty. Though Gaspard was more interested in caricatures and journalism, he decided to apply photography as a rapid form to create caricatures (Janson, 2012) after a friend convinced him to consider the possibility. Gaspard’s work became very popular, as he focused his photographs mainly on people higher in society, as well as Paris’ beauty (Cadava, 2012). Gaspard continued his work as a caricature artist, as there are dated caricatures during his time as a portrait photographer.

He was a well-rounded figure, making himself mostly known through his works as a journalist and caricature artist. At 34 years old, a friend of Gaspard approached him, offering to financially back a studio if Gaspard were to pursue portrait photography (Metropolitan, 2004). The irony of the situation in particular is that Adrien, Gaspard’s younger brother, was persuaded into pursuing photography as a failing artist (Metropolitan, 2004) by Gaspard himself. It was later that Gaspard had actually considered the business. Adrien Tournachon was failing as a photographer, and ready to lose his studio, due to debt before Gaspard stepped. After Gaspard transformed the studio, business was soaring for nearly a year before the brothers ended up in a quarrel, ending their partnership in the studio. Later, Gaspard and Adrien had engaged into a legal battle over the shared name, “Nadar” (Metropolitan, 2004), which Gaspard won. After the court battle and separation from the studio, Gaspard “Nadar” began to develop his best pieces