Honoré Daumier
French, 1808­1879
Nadar, Elevating Photography to the Heights of Art
1862
Lithograph on ivory wove paper
44.8 x 31.1 cm
Carter H. Harrison Collection, 1961.373

Nadar, a pioneering photographer, was the first to go up in a hot air balloon for the sole purpose of taking pictures of the earth from above. He was also considered the best studio photographer of his day in Paris. 

Daumier cleverly salutes Nadar’s daring and fame here. Do you see the same word on all the buildings? It is the French word for photography, and Nadar floats high above all his rivals.