Napoleon Sarony

Napoleon Sarony (1821-1890) was a dynamic and influential figure in 19th-century American visual culture, successfully navigating the transition from master lithographer to the premier celebrity portrait photographer of his era. Active across nearly seven decades, his works provide an essential visual record of Gilded Age society, industry, and entertainment, securing his place in major institutional collections, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Art Institute of Chicago.

Sarony’s early career focused on detailed, commemorative lithography. These early prints demonstrate a versatile hand capable of capturing both grand national narratives and intimate, sentimental moments. His catalog included ambitious historical documentation, such as Perry's Victory on Lake Erie, alongside detailed records of national pride, notably the print dedicated to the United States Military Academy, Song of the Graduates. He provided the public with accessible, informative imagery, covering subjects as varied as civic achievements, famous commercial treaties like Wm. Penn's Treaty with the Indians When He Founded the Province of Pennsa. 1661: The Only Treaty That Never Was Broken, and deeply personal subjects like The Grave of My Mother.

However, Sarony cemented his widespread fame through his celebrated photographic studio, becoming synonymous with late-19th-century American theater. He developed a highly recognizable, dramatic style for his sitters, capturing the era’s leading stage actors and actresses, effectively pioneering the modern concept of the celebrity headshot. His keen business sense ensured that his portraiture dominated the market, a strategy underscored by self-promotional works like the Advertisement for Sarony's Photographic Studies.

The sheer volume and popularity of his output ensured that his style dictated how the public viewed fame. The proliferation of his images means that many of his key works and photographic studies are now available in the public domain, offering institutions and enthusiasts access to Napoleon Sarony prints as downloadable artwork. His impact was so enduring that his son, Otto Sarony, continued the practice, specializing in photographic studies for the theater and nascent film industries, demonstrating that Sarony not only captured celebrity, he successfully industrialized it.