This article introduces a series of five studies devoted to the subtle and growing interest in the relationship between Arthur Rimbaud and the world of photography.
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BIENNALE DI SENIGALLIA
“ARTHUR RIMBAUD AND PHOTOGRAPHY”
I. Portraits of Rimbaud the Poet. Conference by André Guyaux
The Biennale di Senigallia had the honor of welcoming André Guyaux to deliver the opening lecture at the study day devoted to Rimbaud and Photography. He spoke with clarity and directness about the very small number of known portraits of the poet, produced by photographers or artists who crossed his path. A few of these images have provided lasting inspiration for generations of painters and creators, who continue to revisit and reinterpret the image of France’s most famous poet.
André Guyaux chose not to dwell on the long list of misidentifications, incorrect attributions, or fakes intended to deceive. He noted there are essentially three photographic portraits that can be definitively validated for the young Rimbaud, if one includes the earliest, taken at his first communion in May 1866, at a time when he was just beginning to compose his first verses in Latin [https://www.mag4.net/Rimbaud/poesies/Ver-erat.html]:
Ver erat, et morbo Romae languebat inerti
Orbilius: dira tacuerunt tela magistri
Plagarumque sonus non jam veniebat ad aures,
Nec ferula assiduo cruciabat membra dolore. [https://www.mag4.net/Rimbaud/poesies/Ver-erat.html]
(It was spring, yet Orbilius, sick with Rome’s dull blight,
Lay weary, while the master’s cruel darts ceased their flight.
No longer came the crack of rods upon the ear,
No longer did the whip bring pain so sharp and near.)
Louis Eugène Vassogne (1836–1881). Frédéric and Arthur Rimbaud at their First Communion. Studio portrait, Charleville, Pentecost 1866. Albumen print, 215 x 145 mm, uncredited, BnF, available online via Gallica
The solemn communion ceremony likely took place according to Catholic tradition then in force—up until 1910—on Pentecost Sunday, which in 1866 fell on 20 May, the seventh Sunday after Easter.
Vassogne was one of the few established photographers in Charleville at the time, alongside Emile Jacoby. Few archival records remain, but several cartes de visite portraits by Vassogne are known, including one of Vitalie Rimbaud around 1873 (J. Desse). The François Boisjoly collection contains about twenty of these portraits, several identifiable by recurring elements such as the same carpet or chair, as noted by Jacques Desse in his article “Le Premier Portrait.”
A single known print of this portrait remained in the family and was eventually sold in the 1950s by the widow of Paterne Berrichon; it was subsequently acquired by Alexandrine de Rothschild. When her major collection was auctioned in 1969, the print was acquired by preemption for the Bibliothèque nationale de France.
Étienne Carjat (1828–1906). Arthur Rimbaud. First studio portrait, 10 rue ND de Lorette, October 1871. Three known carte-de-visite, 215 x 145 mm, credited (one at BnF)
Carjat most likely met Rimbaud at the first Vilains Bonshommes dinner, to which the young poet was invited, held on Saturday, 30 September 1871.
“To further increase your regret at missing the last Vilains Bonshommes dinner, I must tell you that we saw and heard for the first time a little fellow of 17, whose almost childlike face hardly shows even 14, and who is the most astonishing example of precocious maturity we have ever encountered. Arthur Rimbaud—remember this name; unless fate drops a stone on his head, it will become that of a great poet. ‘Jesus among the doctors,’ said d’Hervilly. Another said: ‘He’s the devil!’—which led me to this even better and new formula: the devil among the doctors. . . Come to the next dinner, so we can forget that you missed the previous ones, and accept the warmest regards of your very obliged and devoted… Léon Valade.”
For the discussion about the chronology of the two portraits Carjat made, see the end of the article. Isabelle Rimbaud herself compared the first and the following portrait in a letter to her future husband, Paterne Berrichon:
“There is here a (second) photograph taken by Carjat, a bit after the one you used as a model: Arthur had already changed a lot; he was thinner and had an inspired look.”
Étienne Carjat (1828–1906). Arthur Rimbaud with a Cravat. Studio portrait, 10 rue Notre-Dame de Lorette, Paris, December 1871. After a silver print, reproduction around 1911
« … Is this not truly “the Sublime Child,” without Chateaubriand’s terrible contradiction, but not without the protest of lips long since sensual and a pair of eyes lost more in very old memory than in any precocious dream? Is there not, in those bold nostrils, a smile of a boyish Casanova—yet much more seasoned in adventure—and does not that fine, rugged chin declare “Go take a hike” to any illusion that owes its existence only to the most irrevocable will? At least, to our mind, that splendid mop of hair could only have been so disheveled by pillows thoroughly crushed by the elbow of pure, sultanesque whim. And that utterly virile disdain for any toilette unnecessary to such ‘devilish beauty’! » (Paul Verlaine, “Lutèce,” Saturday, 29 March 1884)
The legendary portrait, the one known throughout the world, is still elusive today. It circulates only as a reproduction, a copy made circa 1911 for Paul Claudel’s documentation.
Henri Fantin-Latour (1836–1904). Un coin de table – Dîner des Vilains Bonhommes,
Oil on canvas (detail). Exhibited at the Salon of 1872, inaugurated around 18 May 1872.
According to the available testimonies, Rimbaud is said to have posed only once in the painter’s studio, rue des Beaux-Arts in Paris, and then only in the company of Verlaine (Jean-Baptiste Baronian). For further details, see Luce Abélès, Fantin-Latour “Coin de table”. Verlaine, Rimbaud et les Vilains Bonhommes, exhibition catalogue, Musée d’Orsay, Paris, 30 November 1987 – 28 February 1988.
On 7 March 1898, at Fantin-Latour’s invitation, Isabelle Rimbaud received a photographic reproduction of a gouache and chalk drawing by Fantin-Latour, today held at the Pierpont Morgan Library. She took this reproduction the very same day to Mercure de France for use in illustrating the Œuvres complètes of Rimbaud by Berrichon and Delahaye. The fate of this copy-watercolor is discussed in detail by Jacques Bienvenu in his article “À propos d’un Rimbaud souriant et d’une gouache,” which explores the provenance of the image and questions surrounding the rare depiction of Rimbaud with a near-smile.
Changing Faces: Rimbaud’s Carjat Portraits in Question
For a century, a persistent mystery has divided opinion: although Rimbaud’s identity in the two photographs is undisputed, he looks so different that a quick analysis suggests two distinct periods in his life, forcing a choice between different theories.
Carjat and Rimbaud met for the first time on the evening of September 30, 1871, so Rimbaud could not have visited his studio before October 1st. Their relationship deteriorated as a result of Rimbaud’s poor behavior, culminating in the tragic incident of March 2, 1872; therefore, Rimbaud’s visits to Carjat’s studio must have ended by that date.
Charles Houin’s iconographic research for the Revue d’Ardenne et d’Argonne, carried out in the late 1890s, is notable for its scientific integrity. Although there are errors due to the inaccuracy of witnesses’ memories, his rigor in verifying publications and portraits is exemplary. Houin tracked down the owners of the existing Carjat portraits, one of which was even dedicated, and dated the Carjat portraits to October and December 1871, respectively.
The Charleville testimonies agree on Rimbaud’s physical transformation during the six months he was away in Paris from mid-September 1871 to mid-March 1872, marked by weight loss, growth of more than 20 cm, and a change in appearance.
Etienne Carjat in the small garden of his studio in the courtyard, circa 1871
Étienne Carjat remains a somewhat enigmatic figure among Parisian photographers of the Second Empire. An assistant to Pierre Petit and under the protection of banker Rothschild, he was close to discreet republican circles. Carjat once employed Charles Baudelaire during one of the most remarkable publishing ventures of the 1860s: Le Boulevard.
Initially established at 56 rue Lafitte, near the church of Notre-Dame de Lorette, Carjat went bankrupt during the Commune period and subsequently set up again at 10 rue Notre-Dame de Lorette, working in a beautiful, light-filled courtyard. It was there that he produced, among other works, two crucial portraits of the young poet Arthur Rimbaud. He first met Rimbaud on 30 September 1871 at a rather lively dinner.
Carjat was a regular at the gatherings of the “Vilains Bonhommes,” held on Saturday evenings from 1869 to 1872. These dinners brought together Paul Verlaine, Léon Valade, Albert Mérat, Charles Cros and his brothers Henry and Antoine, Camille Pelletan, Émile Blémont, Ernest d’Hervilly, and Jean Aicard, along with painters like Fantin-Latour and Michel-Eudes de L’Hay, writer Paul Bourget, comic illustrators André Gill and Félix Régamey, and Parnassian poets such as Léon Dierx, Catulle Mendès, Théodore de Banville, Stéphane Mallarmé, and, naturally, François Coppée.
Fresh from Charleville, Arthur Rimbaud was invited by Verlaine to his first Vilains Bonhommes dinner on Saturday, 30 September 1871. He was met with great admiration, especially after reading his poem “Le Bateau ivre.”
During the Biennale, 50 vintage cartes-de-visite by Carjat from the same period are presented. Material examination reveals notable differences between Carjat’s various cartes-de-visite: details such as size, proportions, oval framing, and address colors vary between prints, indicating different production batches.
When examining the daily practices of 19th-century photographic studios, it can be observed that photographers would order mounting cards from printers as needed, rather than maintaining a uniform stock. This approach naturally resulted in a considerable variety of card designs and formats over time.
A detailed comparison of the mounting cards for the two portraits of Rimbaud clearly shows that they originate from different production batches. The differences in card style and fabrication support the conclusion that the sessions took place at separate times, with a notable interval between them.
It is worth noting—a detail that might surprise at first—that the two famous Carjat portraits of Rimbaud, when analyzed by facial recognition software, are not identified as the same person.
The algorithms and artificial intelligence systems are categorical.
This assertion, surprising at first glance, will meet an explanation.
The algorithms and artificial intelligence systems are categorical: The two Carjat portraits are not identified as the same person !
This assertion, surprising at first glance, has an explanation.
In 2025, advances in digital technologies—such as the application of the Blender software—have made it possible to produce precise volumetric renderings of the two portraits by Carjat, utilizing Gaussian projection, despite the poor quality of the reproduced image of the second portrait.
Three-dimensional analyses of the skulls reveal a notable divergence between the subjects, even though both are presumed to represent Rimbaud.
This observation prompts further investigation. How is it possible ?
The key to this puzzle lies in geometric and optical differences: it appears that the lenses used by Carjat during the respective sessions were clearly distinct. This finding contributes to the ongoing discussion regarding the chronology of Carjat’s photographic sessions with Rimbaud, suggesting that the portraits were created in separate sittings, and underscores the influence of technical choices on the interpretation of photographic portraits.
The key to this puzzle lies in the geometric and optical distinctions observed between the portraits: evidence suggests that Carjat selected different lenses for each session—using a low-angle optic in one, and its counterpart configured for a higher viewpoint in the other.
Now, when computer software attempts to reconstruct the shape of the skull from these images, the variation between the optical setups further amplifies the perceived differences. Each lens distorts spatial relationships in its own way, so digital volumetric modeling accentuates the discrepancies already introduced by the different photographic perspectives. This makes the resulting reconstructions appear even more distinct than what might be seen by direct visual comparison, highlighting the crucial impact of Carjat’s technical choices on our interpretation of the portraits.
This finding contributes to the ongoing discussion regarding the chronology of Carjat’s photographic sessions with Rimbaud, suggesting that the portraits were created in separate sittings, and underscores the influence of technical choices on the interpretation of photographic portraits.
Paul Verlaine summed it up well: « One should not place too much trust in the portraits we have of Rimbaud, including the caricature shown here, however amusing and artistic it may be. Rimbaud, at the age of sixteen or seventeen, when he wrote the verses and prose we know, was rather handsome—very handsome—rather than ugly, as evidenced by Fantin’s portrait in his Coin de table, which is in Manchester. A kind of sweetness shone and smiled in his cruel light blue eyes and on that red, strong mouth with its bitter line: mysticism and sensuality, and what sensuality! One day, we will finally obtain ‘approximate’ likenesses. » (Les Hommes d’Aujourd’hui, January 1888)
The next chapter in “Rimbaud’s Adventures in Photography” continues tomorrow: Hugues Fontaine may have discovered the silhouette of Arthur Rimbaud in an African photograph…
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