22.00 USD
Suzanne Mainville was a French music hall performer of the late 19th and early 20th centuries who was both a singer and a dancer. Very rarely do we see images of theatrical performers that so wonderfully capture the sense of movement that is seen in this image. Remember that these early photographs typically required that the subject remain still for a number of seconds, or even minutes, so that it required both physical strength and balance as well as great strength of will for a dancer to hold a pose such as this one.
This image is one of a series by Cavaliere Alfredo Pesce. Another image in this series was included in an exhibition of photographic portraits at the National Library of Naples, showing Suzanne in the same dress, but in a much less dramatic stance.
You may be interested to know that Cavaliere, usually abbreviated to Cav., is the Italian honorific for a knight. Cav. Pesce was a well-known and well-respected Naples photographer who photographed such luminaries as Giacomo Puccini and Émile Zola. His studio was located in the lavish Galleria Umberto I in Naples, an amazing structure graced by mosaic floors and a high glass dome that soars 187 feet above the heads of the pedestrians who walk below. Built in the last decades of the 19th century, this elegant precursor to today's malls was designed to combine public with private, filling the lower floors with businesses, shops, and cafes, while locating apartments above, on the third floor.
******
This dramatic card has only minor wear to the edges and corners. Please examine our high res scans for detail.
Postage is for first class shipping in a secure photo mailer, and we happily combine shipping on all paper goods. If you purchase two cards, the price is the same as for a single card, and when you purchase three or more cards from us at the same time, your shipping will be entirely free, except for international orders which, due to the costs of international shipping will still be charged one card's shipping fees on orders of three or more. We do not charge for insurance or shipping materials, and as of the date of this listing are still charging below our overall cost on shipping.
And please come visit our blog at:
redpoulaine.blogspot.com
where we post biographical and historical tidbits, images of cards and photographs for sale, some already sold but remembered fondly, related images of historical interest and sometimes even images of items that have not yet arrived in the shop, but that are expected to arrive soon, as well as coupon codes, links to other related sites, and more!