Charles Nègre

Charles Nègre (1820–1880) was a pioneering French photographer and painter who played a significant role in establishing photography as a fine art medium in the 19th century. Trained as a painter under Paul Delaroche and Ingres, he brought a painterly sensibility to his photographs, which ranged from candid street scenes in Paris to architectural studies and portraits. He was also an innovator in photogravure, developing techniques to reproduce photographs as prints, and his work is celebrated for its artistic composition and technical mastery.