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Bas-relief of a portion of a frieze in terra cotta depicting winged cupids and chariot and horses

Louise Laffon

1864

photographic

From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum

Impressionism Realism Late 19th Century

Dominant colour

Bas-relief of a portion of a frieze in terra cotta depicting winged cupids and chariot and horses 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

Louise Laffon made this in 1863-1864. It’s a terra cotta bas-relief showing winged cupids, a chariot, and horses. She used photography, not paint, to capture the scene. The Victoria and Albert Museum kept this overlooked photo for artists and students. It was part of their early push to collect photographs for study. Check out the Victoria and Albert Museum next time you’re in London.

The story of this work

Overview

The Victoria and Albert Museum holds an albumen photograph by Louise Laffon from 1864, depicting a terra cotta bas-relief fragment of a frieze featuring winged cupids alongside a chariot and horses. The image is part of a series of one hundred photographs documenting sculptures and decorative objects from the Campana Collection at the Musée Napoléon III in Paris. Laffon’s work was acquired by the museum in multiple series, totaling five hundred prints, through the Parisian dealer Monsieur E. Cappe. The surviving gilded mounts bear the gender-neutral stamp "L. Laffon" and the studio name…

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