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Bas-relief depicting the Virgin and Child in terra cotta

Louise Laffon

1864

photographic

From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum

Impressionism Realism Late 19th Century Religious

Dominant colour

Bas-relief depicting the Virgin and Child 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 small terra cotta bas-relief of the Virgin and Child. It’s only 21 centimeters tall and was made in 1863–64 by Louise Laffon, a French photographer. The museum calls it a rare survival, because most early photos of sculpture were printed on paper. Laffon was overlooked for years. The Victoria and Albert Museum only started hunting for women artists in its collection recently. Look up the Victoria and Albert Museum.

The story of this work

Overview

The Victoria and Albert Museum holds an 1864 albumen photograph by Louise Laffon depicting a terra cotta bas-relief of the Virgin and Child. The image was part of a series of 500 photographs Laffon produced of sculptures from the Campana Collection at the Musée Napoléon III in Paris. The photograph was acquired by the museum through the agent Monsieur E. Cappe. Laffon’s original gilded mounts bear the gender-neutral stamp "L. Laffon" along with the studio name "Photographie Lord Byron."

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