Bas-relief Bust of the Emperor Galba
1864
photographic
From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum
1864
photographic
From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum
Dominant colour
Bas-relief Bust of the Emperor Galba is a 1864 photographic by Louise Laffon, a Impressionism work, held at Victoria and Albert Museum.
Louise Laffon made a three-dimensional photo of Emperor Galba in 1863-1864. It’s a photograph shaped like a carved relief. Museums usually keep flat photos, so this one stands out. Laffon was overlooked for years. Yet she worked in a time when photos were new to museums. The V&A was the first to collect and show photos at all. Check out the Victoria and Albert Museum next.
A photograph by Louise Laffon from 1864 depicts a bas-relief bust of the Emperor Galba, part of a series of 100 albumen prints of sculptures from the Campana Collection at the Musée Napoléon III. The Victoria and Albert Museum acquired five sets totaling 500 prints through the agent Monsieur E. Cappe. Laffon’s original gilded mounts, marked with the gender-neutral monogram "L. Laffon" and her studio name "Photographie Lord Byron," remain preserved. The series includes marble, terracotta, and bronze works from the Antique period.
Read the full account in the museum source.
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
