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Bas-relief of a portion of a frieze with a thymiaterion and two temple slave females carrying baskets in terra cotta

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 with a thymiaterion and two temple slave females carrying baskets 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 photo from 1863-1864 by Louise Laffon. It shows part of a frieze with a thymiaterion and two temple slave females carrying baskets. The photo is part of the V&A’s historic collection. The V&A started collecting photos in 1852 and was the first museum to exhibit them. Henry Cole saw photography’s value for artists and students early on. Look up the Victoria and Albert Museum next.

The story of this work

Overview

This albumen print by Louise Laffon, produced in 1864, depicts a terra cotta bas-relief fragment featuring a thymiaterion and two temple slave females carrying baskets. The photograph is part of a series of 500 works documenting objects from the Campana Collection at the Musée Napoléon III in Paris, later acquired by the Victoria and Albert Museum. Laffon’s images were intended for educational and administrative use by artists, students, and museum staff. The surviving gilded mounts bear the gender-neutral stamp "L. Laffon" and reference her studio, "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