Early Portrait by Bisson
SOLD August 2000 |
Quarter plate daguerreotype of a gentleman by Louis Auguste Bisson, Paris, early to mid-1840s. Resealed in original LAB monogram mat, Bisson studio label on reverse.
Bisson is most famous for the vast number of highly skilled salt and albumen prints he produced with his brother Auguste Rosalie under the later rubric of Bisson Frères. However, Louis Auguste learned daguerreotyping directly from Daguerre and operated a daguerreotype studio on his own during the early and mid-1840s. Compared with the later paper prints, and even daguerreotypes by other Parisian makers, Bisson plates are uncommon.
Though light tarnish is visible around the edges of mat opening, my inclination would be to assume that this plate has been cleaned at some time in the past. Buff marks are prominent under some angles of illumination only, the gent seems to pop out against the slightly solarized background in a way that is vividly three-dimensional and "personal." There is an area of very light haze to right above sitter's head and at the left edge where is hand is placed, otherwise bright and clear. A decorative line is hand-inked around the mat opening and LAB monogram.
Label reads "Portrait[s] au Daguerreotype execute a l'ombre, a l'interieur et en quelques secondes / par L. A. BISSON [fils]/ Rue St. Germain-l'Auxerr[ois, 65] / a Paris".
