Portrait d'Ingres (Portrait of Ingres)

Public domain photograph by Charles Negre, 19th-century early artistic photography, France, free to use, no copyright restrictions image - Picryl description

Charles Nègre was a French photographer and inventor, born in 1820 in Grasse, France. He is known for his work in the daguerreotype process, which was the first widely used photographic process. He was one of the first French photographers to experiment with the process, and he quickly gained a reputation for his skill and artistry. He is particularly known for his portraits, landscapes, and architectural photographs. He was among the first photographers to take pictures of the working class and the poor, which at that time were not considered as worthy subjects for photography.

In 1851, he was awarded a medal at the Great Exhibition in London for his daguerreotypes. He also took many photographs of the architecture of Paris and its environs, including the famous photograph of the Eiffel Tower under construction. Nègre also experimented with other photographic processes, including the calotype and the albumen print. He died in 1880 but his work continues to be highly regarded and his photographs are considered some of the most important early photographs of France.