Paris Hunter of 1862: A Portrait with Pinfire Shotgun

Description

This dated 1862 studio portrait by Emile Bondonneau of the Palais Royal captures a bearded Parisian hunter standing with a pinfire shotgun held across his body. His clothing reflects practical French sporting dress of the early 1860s: a corduroy jacket, a waistcoat, and sturdy trousers tucked into tall leather gaiters suited for rough ground. He wears a felt hat with a broad, softened crown, adding a touch of urban character to an otherwise rural ensemble. A dog sits at his side, its patient posture typical of the loyal companion often included in hunting portraits of the era.

The firearm is positioned to show the mechanism clearly, a deliberate choice in many mid-century cartes de visite that celebrated the modernity of the pinfire system. The painted backdrop combines landscape elements with indoor studio props, creating a hybrid setting common in Parisian portrait studios of the period. The handwritten date on the mount anchors the image firmly in the early years of widespread pinfire adoption, making this photograph a succinct record of both sporting culture and contemporary firearm technology within Second Empire Paris.