varnish photographic print after a glass negative 1854-1955
Chartres, near Paris. A world record price for this photo which carried a pre-sale estimate of 200,000 FF. The work of Adrien Tournachon, the brother of the famous Félix Tournachon called Nadar it showed the famous theatre character of Pierrot (who was wearing the costume of Punchinello), a naive and ignorant servant in 17th Century Italian plays. In the 19th Century he was replaced by a mute actor of the pantomime theatre impersonated in France by the celebrated Jean-Baptiste Debureau (1796-1850) who died victim of the fall of a curtain scene. This actor was replaced by his son Jean-Charles (1829-1873) who might be the character portrayed in this rare photography. Adrien Tournachon was also a good portrait and landscape painter.
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