View of Angoulême

About the Artwork

Paul Michel Hossard was an amateur daguerreotypist, especially noted for his architectural views. Rather than depicting a famous monument or landmark, this informal composition captures the charm of courtyards and houses in a small city in western France. The dominant horizontal lines of the buildings are contrasted with the soft, organic forms of the foliage. The presence of a breeze is suggested by the slight blurring of the tallest trees—the result of the long exposure time needed to make this image.

Inscriptions

Written in pencil on verso: "HOSSARD"; Angoulême"; [additional writing in pencil is faded and unclear]

Provenance

Family of the artist Pierre Marc Richard Joachim Bonnemaison, Paris Family of the artist; Pierre Marc Richard; Joachim Bonnemaison, Paris 1996-: The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH

Exhibition history

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: Paul Michel Hossard (French, 1787–1862)
Date: c. 1844
Medium: daguerreotype, applied color
Dimensions: Image: 7.5 x 10.3 cm (2 15/16 x 4 1/16 in.); Matted: 25.4 x 30.5 cm (10 x 12 in.)
Type: Photograph
Classification: Photograph
Department: Photography
Credit line: John L. Severance Fund
Accession no.: 1996.21

Data retrieved from the Cleveland Museum of Art on October 8, 2026. The museum may have updated its record since.