Starring a motley cast of pastoral peasants, pickpocketing street urchins, and classical characters, Still Performing: Costume, Gesture, and Expression in 19th Century European Photography showcases the high drama of the medium’s early years.  

Visiting the photographer’s studio in the nineteenth century was like going behind the scenes of a theatrical production. Props, backdrops, costumes, curtains, and controlled lighting converted otherwise ordinary portrait sessions into staged productions where photographers and their subjects created fanciful scenes for the camera.  

Whether working in their homes or commercial spaces, European photographers often took inspiration from popular entertainments like the theater, opera, and tableau vivant. They also drew from biblical, mythological, and historical themes found in painting, drawing, and sculpture, seeking to legitimize photography by aligning it with the other fine arts. The resulting photographs are an outstanding array of complex and compelling photographic fictions. 

The exhibition features 65 photographs by 36 photographers, including 31 photographs that have never been on view at the Nelson-Atkins. Artists include Julia Margaret Cameron, Charles Nègre, Roger Fenton, Lady Clementina Hawarden, Nadar, Hill & Adamson, Oscar Rejlander, André Disdéri, Adrien Tournachon, among many others. 

Still Performing: Costume, Gesture, and Expression in 19th Century European Photography is accompanied by a selection of contemporary photography in gallery L11, featuring works by Wendy Red Star, Gregory Crewdson, Deana Lawson, William Wegman, Sandy Skoglund, Patrick Nagatani, among others.

Organized by The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art. Generous support provided by the Hall Family Foundation.

Image Captions:
Featured image: (detail) Camille Silvy, French (1834–1910). Actress Rosa Csillag in the Role of Orpheus, 1860. Albumen print, 9 3/16 × 7 5/8 inches. The Nelson–Atkins Museum of Art, Gift of the Hall Family Foundation, 2015.50.37. Body image: Pierre-Louis Pierson, French (1822–1913). The Countess de Castiglione, 1860s. Gelatin silver print (printed about 1930), 10 15/16 x 14 1/8 inches. The Nelson–Atkins Museum of Art, Gift of the Hall Family Foundation, 2013.9.14. 

Slideshow: Camille Silvy, French (1834–1910). Actress Rosa Csillag in the Role of Orpheus, 1860. Albumen print, 9 3/16 × 7 5/8 inches. The Nelson–Atkins Museum of Art, Gift of the Hall Family Foundation, 2015.50.37. 

Julia Margaret Cameron, English, born India (1815–1879). Sir Galahad and the Pale Nun, 1874. Albumen print, 13 7/16 × 10 1/2 inches. The Nelson–Atkins Museum of Art, Gift of the Hall Family Foundation, 2008.18.7. 

Charles Nègre, French (1820–1880). Self-portrait, about 1855-1860. Salt print, 7 5/8 × 5 7/16 inches. The Nelson–Atkins Museum of Art, Gift of the Hall Family Foundation, 2017.61.26. 

Alban-Adrien Tournachon, French (1825–1903) and Nadar [Gaspard Félix Tournachon], French (1820–1910). Pierrot Yawning, 1854. Salt print, 11 1/4 × 8 1/2 inches. The Nelson–Atkins Museum of Art, Gift of the Hall Family Foundation, 2017.61.39. 

Giorgio Sommer, Italian, born Germany (1834–1914). The Pickpocket, about 1865. Albumen print, 9 3/8 × 7 5/8 inches. The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Gift of the Hall Family Foundation, 2017.61.33.