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Cleveland
About the Artwork
Louis-Auguste Bisson's Cleveland is an outstanding example of the artistry of the French daguerreotype, aided by recent technical advances at the time. Between 1839 and 1841, for example, exposure times had been reduced from 15 minutes to one or two minutes. This descriptive portrait of the famous dark bay English stallion named Cleveland is a rare example of the small group of daguerreotypes of horses made by Bisson, who launched the 19th-century tradition of horse portrait photography. The profile pose allowed the photographer to document the anatomical details of the horse, its physiognomy, and breeding. This unusual outdoor picture is a testament to Bisson's technical ability, the speed of the exposure, and the horse's willingness to stand still.
Inscriptions
Written in brown ink on recto: "Cleveland"; in brown ink on verso: "DAGUERRÉOTYPÉ/PAR/BISSON, [signed]/No. 65, rue St. Germain/L'Auxerroir/à Paris."
Exhibition history
Notable Acquisitions. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (June 7-September 15, 1991). Legacy of Light: Master Photographs from the Cleveland Museum of Art. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (November 24, 1996-February 2, 1997).
Quick Overview
- Artist
- Louis-Auguste Bisson (French, 1814–1876)
- Date
- c. 1842–1843
- Medium
- daguerreotype
- Dimensions
- Image: 8.1 x 10.9 cm (3 3/16 x 4 5/16 in.); Matted: 25.4 x 30.5 cm (10 x 12 in.)
- Type
- Photograph
- Classification
- Photograph
- Department
- Photography
- Credit line
- Norman O. Stone and Ella A. Stone Memorial Fund
- Accession no.
- 1991.38
More by Louis-Auguste Bisson in museum collections
Data retrieved from the Cleveland Museum of Art on October 8, 2026. The museum may have updated its record since.
Open-access museum record · AT-00012923
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