Paper

Student Artwork Guide

Catacombes De Paris

Félix Nadar, 1861

Name Class Date
Félix Nadar, Catacombes De Paris (1861). Public domain. See this canvas under a moving light: the drawing, the true colour under the varnish, the bare pigment

The facts

Artist
Félix Nadar topimpressionists.com/en/artists/felix-nadar/
Artist’s dates
1820 – 1910
Painted
1861
Movement
Documentary Photography Photographs taken to record real events and lives as evidence, not to arrange a pretty picture.

Copyright This work is in the public domain. Félix Nadar died in 1910; copyright lasts 70 years after the artist’s death, so it ended in 1980.

Source: TopImpressionists.com — accessed Sept. 27, 2026

Catacombes De Paris — Félix Nadar Part 1 · The artwork

In context

Catacombes De Paris — Félix Nadar

When was this painted?

  1. 1820
  2. 1830
  3. 1840
  4. 1850
  5. 1860
  6. 1870
  7. 1880
  8. 1890
  9. 1900
  10. 1910

Row above: the years. Row below: how old the artist was at the start and at the end of each span — 0 at birth, 90 at death.

Painted when the artist was 41. The artist lived to 90. 39 of the 185 dated works by this artist in our catalogue came earlier.

Shaded: the lifetime of Félix Nadar (1820–1910) ▲ this work, 1861 every dated painting, decade by decade

First works: up to 1861 Main working years: 1861–1878 Late works: from 1878

Those three bands split the works this catalogue has a date for into a first quarter, a middle half and a last quarter. They are not the artist’s complete output: a thin stretch may be a gap in the record rather than a quiet spell. The same years with the artist’s life laid along them

Compare with

Pick one work above: name two things it shares with this one, and one thing that's different.

More works to set beside this one: topimpressionists.com/en/art/similar/felix-nadar-catacombes-de-paris-D2SSLZ-en/

Colours

Measured from the image

    Main colour

    Phthalo Green #2c2c2c

    Catalogued palette

    • #2C2C2C
    • #A5A5A5
    • #585858
    • #EAEAEA

    These colours inside the artist’s whole palette Find other paintings by colour

    Main colour name
    Phthalo Green
    Intensity
    Monochromatic How saturated and varied the colours are, from a single toned-down hue to many bright ones.
    Contrast
    Statement How much the colours differ in lightness and saturation across the picture.
    Harmony
    Unified Palette How well the colours work together, from clashing to fully unified.
    Brightness
    Shadow How light or dark the picture reads overall, from deep shadow to bright highlight.
    Saturation
    Muted How pure and strong the colours are, from near-grey to fully vivid.

    Where in the world is this painting looked at?

    • under 1%
    • 1–3%
    • 3–8%
    • 8–20%
    • 20% and over
    This painting alone has too few recorded visitors to map, so the plate reads every work by Félix Nadar over the last twelve months — 7 countries in all. Where these figures come from

    The ten leading countries

    1. 1 China 76.5%
    2. 2 Spain 5.9%
    3. 3 United States of America 5.9%
    4. 4 Brazil 3.9%
    5. 5 Czechia 3.9%
    6. 6 Canada 2.0%
    7. 7 Singapore 2.0%

    Find the three darkest countries on the map. Is the museum that keeps this painting in any of them? Write down one reason people far away might look at it.

    The 20 most looked-at works by Félix Nadar

    1. 1 Pierrot the Photographer, 1854 8.1%
    2. 2 Sarah Bernhardt 4.8%
    3. 3 Hermaphrodite, 1860 3.2%
    4. 4 Catacombes De Paris, 1861 3.2%
    5. 5 Égouts De Paris, 1861 3.2%
    6. 6 Égouts De Paris, 1861 3.2%
    7. 7 Catacombes De Paris, 1861 this painting 3.2%
    8. 8 Catacombes De Paris, 1861 3.2%
    9. 9 Claude Monet, 1899 3.2%
    10. 10 Sarah Bernhardt, 1865 3.2%
    11. 11 portraits François Guizot 3.2%
    12. 12 Pierre-Joseph Proudhon, 1865 1.6%
    13. 13 George Sand, 1865 1.6%
    14. 14 Gioacchino Rossini, 1856 1.6%
    15. 15 Paul Nadar À Vélo,, 1866 1.6%
    16. 16 Nadar Lying On A Bench With A Cat, 1860 1.6%
    17. 17 George Sand, 1864 1.6%
    18. 18 Stéphane Mallarmé, 1890 1.6%
    19. 19 Catacombes De Paris, 1861 1.6%
    20. 20 Catacombes De Paris, 1861 1.6%

    Together these works take 56.1% of all the attention this artist's paintings received over the last twelve months. The catalogue holds 255 works by this artist, of which 47 were looked at at least once. This painting ranks 7 of them, with 3.2% of that attention. The same counts, month by month

    Bars measure attention, not quality. Pick the work at the top and this one: name one thing that might make a painting famous beyond how well it is painted.

    Source: TopImpressionists.com — accessed Sept. 27, 2026

    Catacombes De Paris — Félix Nadar Part 2 · In context

    Artist and museum

    Artist

    Félix Nadar

    Félix Nadar: A Pioneer of Photography

    Early Life and Beginnings

    Born: Gaspard-Félix Tournachon on April 5, 1820, in Paris (though some sources suggest Lyon).

    His father, Victor Tournachon, was a printer and bookseller.

    Initially studied medicine but abandoned it due to financial constraints after his father’s death.

    Nadar, as he became known, began his career as a caricaturist and novelist, contributing to various newspapers.

    From Caricature to Photography

    Began experimenting with photography around 1853.

    Opened his first photographic studio in 1854 at 113 rue St. Lazare, later moving to 35 Boulevard des Capucines in 1860.

    Quickly gained recognition for his striking and psychologically insightful portraits.

    Rejection of Convention: Nadar eschewed the opulent backdrops common in portraiture, preferring natural light and a focus on the sitter’s personality.

    Pioneering Aerial Photography

    In 1858, Nadar became the first person to take aerial photographs using balloons.

    Overcame technical challenges related to developing photographic plates at altitude by inventing a gas-proof cotton cover for his balloon baskets.

    Also pioneered artificial lighting in photography, notably within the Paris Catacombs.

    Le Géant: Commissioned the construction of a massive balloon named “Le Géant” (The Giant) in 1863, inspiring Jules Verne’s Five Weeks in a Balloon.

    Major Achievements and Influences

    Portraiture: Photographed numerous prominent figures including Victor Hugo, Charles Baudelaire, Sarah Bernhardt, and Gustave Courbet.

    Established the world’s first airmail service during the Siege of Paris (1870-71) using balloon flights.

    Hosted the first Impressionist exhibition in his studio in 1874, providing a crucial platform for emerging artists.

    Published what is considered the first photo-interview in 1886, featuring chemist Michel Eugène Chevreul.

    Later Life and Legacy

    Moved his studio to Marseille from 1895 to 1909.

    Died on March 20, 1910, in Paris and is buried in Père Lachaise Cemetery.

    His son, Paul Nadar, continued the studio’s operations after his death.

    Quand j’étais photographe: Published a memoir reflecting on his life and work, offering valuable insights into 19th-century photography.

    Historical Significance: Nadar's innovative techniques and artistic vision profoundly impacted the development of photography as an art form. His portraits remain iconic representations of Parisian intellectual and artistic circles.

    Where to read more

    Find this online

    QR code linking to the download page for Catacombes De Paris

    topimpressionists.com/en/art/download/felix-nadar-catacombes-de-paris-D2SSLZ-en/

    Cite this artwork

    MLA
    Nadar, Félix. Catacombes De Paris. 1861, https://topimpressionists.com/en/art/felix-nadar-catacombes-de-paris-D2SSLZ-en/
    APA
    Nadar, Félix (1861). Catacombes De Paris [Painting]. https://topimpressionists.com/en/art/felix-nadar-catacombes-de-paris-D2SSLZ-en/
    Chicago
    Félix Nadar. Catacombes De Paris. 1861. https://topimpressionists.com/en/art/felix-nadar-catacombes-de-paris-D2SSLZ-en/
    Harvard
    Nadar, Félix (1861) Catacombes De Paris. Available at: https://topimpressionists.com/en/art/felix-nadar-catacombes-de-paris-D2SSLZ-en/

    Source: TopImpressionists.com — accessed Sept. 27, 2026

    Catacombes De Paris — Félix Nadar Part 3 · Artist and museum

    Look closely

    Catacombes De Paris — Félix Nadar

    Look closely

    Answer in your own words. There are no wrong answers here — only answers you can explain.

    1. What catches your eye first, and why?
    2. Which colours or shapes create the mood — and what is that mood?
    3. Our catalogue files this work under: paris catacombs, underground paris, victorian photography. Do you agree? What would you add, or take away?
    4. Look back at Sarah Bernhardt (1864), earlier in this guide. Name two things it shares with this work, and one that is different.
    5. Documentary Photography: Photographs taken to record real events and lives as evidence, not to arrange a pretty picture. Where can you see that in this work?

    Your response

    Write a short paragraph about this artwork. Use the facts from the earlier parts of this guide, and your answers above.

    Source: TopImpressionists.com — accessed Sept. 27, 2026

    Catacombes De Paris — Félix Nadar Part 4 · Look closely

    Questions & Answers

    Can I watch "Catacombes De Paris" as a full-screen slideshow?

    A slideshow is available: the Diaporama page of "Catacombes De Paris" by Félix Nadar.

    Is "Catacombes De Paris" by Félix Nadar a portrait, landscape or square composition?

    "Catacombes De Paris" by Félix Nadar has a portrait format. The format describes the proportions of the composition.

    How much light do the colors of "Catacombes De Paris" appear to reflect?

    The luminance recorded for "Catacombes De Paris" by Félix Nadar is soft shadow.