Charles Nègre

Nationality: French

1820 - 1880

Before opening his own studio in 1850, Nègre studied at the École des Beaux-Arts, Paris, under Paul Delaroche, who encouraged his students to use photographs as memory aids in the process of painting. While he never abandoned painting and was a regular exhibitor at the Salon in the 1840s and 1850s, Nègre’s pioneering work as a photographer influenced all aspects of his production, including choice of subject matter, composition, effects of light and shade, and perspective. He is best known for his landscape and architectural photographs of Paris; Chartres; and the Midi, a region in southern France, including a famous photograph of a Notre Dame gargoyle titled The Vampire.

Place of Birth: Grasse
Place of Death: Grasse

Text written and researched by Michelle Bird National Gallery of Art, Washington DC.