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An Arimaspi combating with a Griffin, bas-relief fragment in terra cotta

Louise Laffon

1864

photographic

From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum

Impressionism Realism Late 19th Century

Dominant colour

An Arimaspi combating with a Griffin, bas-relief fragment in terra cotta is a 1864 photographic by Louise Laffon, a Impressionism work, held at Victoria and Albert Museum.

Who painted this?: Louise Laffon
When & what style?: 1864 · Impressionism
Where can I see it?: Victoria and Albert Museum

About this work

This is a terra cotta bas-relief fragment from 1863–64 by Louise Laffon. It shows a mythical fight between a person and a griffin. The piece is a photograph, not a sculpture. The Victoria and Albert Museum was early to collect and show photos. This work was meant to help artists and students study form and detail. Look up the artist Louise Laffon next.

The story of this work

Overview

The bas-relief fragment in terra cotta depicts an Arimaspi warrior engaged in combat with a griffin, part of a series of albumen photographs taken by Louise Laffon in 1864. The photographs document sculptures from the Campana Collection at the Musée Napoléon III, including marble, terracotta, and bronze works. The Victoria and Albert Museum acquired 500 prints from Laffon’s series through an agent, with some original gilded mounts surviving, bearing the gender-neutral stamp "L. Laffon" and her studio’s name, "Photographie Lord Byron." The series was intended for educational and administrative…

Read the full account in the museum source.

About the artist

Artist

Louise Laffon

Louise Laffon (1828–1885), was a French photographer and painter. She was one of the first female professional photographers in France. She had a studio in Paris between 1859 and 1876.

See the richer artist page