This very early example of an Étude (Study) style portrait by French photographer Robert Demachy printed in magenta ink appeared as a quarto-sized photogravure in the May, 1891 edition of the journal Bulletin de la Société Francais de Photographie. The version shown here is much larger, probably from a deluxe, large-paper edition of the work.

The issue included the following editorial commentary for this portrait, with a straight Google translation into English following:

Notre Illustration

Quelques personnes refusent-elles encore de reconnaître le sentiment artistique de certaines oeuvres photographiques?  L’illustration qui accompagne ce numéro pourra peut-être les convaincre. C’est surtout ce sentiment que le Jury a voulu constater en décernant à M. Robert Demachy une médaille de vermeil, pour la collection d’études, genre Chaplin, qu’il avait envoyée au Concours de 1890.

M. Dujardin a bien voulu se charger gracieusement de graver l’une d’entre elles, et, si l’ensemble du sujet est artistique, l’exécution de la gravure ne l’est pas moins par sa délicatesse et la mise en valeur des intentions de l’auteur du cliché.

E. C.  (p. 156)

Translation into English

Our Illustration

Some people refuse even to recognize the artistic sense of some photographic works? The illustration accompanying this number could perhaps convince them. This is especially the feeling that the jury wanted to see in awarding Mr. Robert Demachy a silver gilt medal for the collection of studies, gender Chaplin, he was sent to the 1890 contest.

Mr. Dujardin has graciously condescended to burn one of them, and if the whole subject is art, performing etching is not least by its delicacy and development the intentions of the author of the picture.

print notes recto: the following printed information appears on the plate:

centered within upper plate margin:  Bulletin de la Société Francais de Photographie

centered within lower plate margin:

titled: Photogravure D’Après un Phototype Négatif de Mr. Robert Demachy
Médaille de vermeil  (Concours de 1890)

left lower corner below image in plate margin:  Héliog: Dujardin

right lower corner below image in plate margin: Imp. Chardon-Wittmann