raquehais's early photographs consist primarily of portraits and female nudes, many of which were colored by his wife, Laure. His photographs of the Paris Commune document the event at its height and after its fall and are considered early examples of photojournalism. Art critics have pointed out that many of Braquehais's photographs of female nudes are full with distracting objects, giving the model the appearance of being isolated. The piece offered here is an amazingly modern nude in which the sitter looks relaxed, natural and free of any excess clutter. A comparable daguerreotype by Braquehais is in the collection of the Museo nationale del Cinema, Turin (Inv. No. F39960).
