Comte de Vernay / Barcelona: Gentleman - Royal Photographer (Vintage CDV ~1860s)

original vintage carte de visite (cdv) photo - no reprint!  

carte de visite photos were first introduced in 1854 and were replaced by the larger cabinet cards, in the early 1870s...

scarce antique carte de visite (cdv) photograph, informal full length portrait of a gentleman with moustache and sideburns, wearing a dark frock coat with prominent buttons, posing casually with one foot raised on an ornately carved barley twist side table, draped curtain backdrop.

photographed by the "COMTE DE VERNAY", the artistic name of LOUIS CHARLES RAOUL DE LA BARRE DE NANTEUIL (1825 to 1871), a french photographer trained under nadar who worked extensively in spain. in 1859 he took what is considered the FIRST SURVIVING BULLFIGHT PHOTOGRAPH in spanish history, at the bullring of el puerto de santa maria.

he went on to photograph the DUKE AND DUCHESS OF MONTPENSIER, and in 1863, following the death of CHARLES CLIFFORD, was appointed official court photographer to QUEEN ISABELLA II of spain, receiving the order of CHARLES III. this cdv was produced at his barcelona studio at rambla del centro 36-38, active from 1861 to 1863, before he relocated to madrid. his surviving works are considered scarce on the collectors market.

studio backmark on reverse bears his red heraldic crest stamp and signature, along with the studio address. a small separately mounted oval portrait photograph of the same sitter is affixed to the upper left corner of the reverse.

standard cdv format, mounted on card with red ruled border, sepia toned albumen print. please see photos for condition, including foxing and staining consistent with age.

a rare example from the studio of a documented photographer to the spanish royal court and pioneer of bullfight photography, of interest to collectors of early spanish photography, royal provenance photographers, or 19th century cdvs.

size: ~ 10.4 x 6.2 cm (1 cm ~ 0.39 inch)

condition: very good...please also refer to scan which show complete front and reverse of photo.

fotografie, photograph, photographe, kabinettformat, cabinet photo, foto, kabinett photo, cdv, carde de visite, albumen silver print, tirage albuminé, königlicher hofphotograph