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Bas-relief of Temple of Hercules in terra cotta

Louise Laffon

1864

photographic

From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum

Impressionism Realism Late 19th Century Mythology

Dominant colour

Bas-relief of Temple of Hercules 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 photograph is from 1863-1864. It was taken by Louise Laffon, a French photographer. The Victoria and Albert Museum holds this photograph, which is part of its collection that started in 1852, and it's interesting because the museum was one of the first to collect and exhibit photographs, seeing their potential for artists and students. You can learn more about the movement of Realism.

The story of this work

Overview

A terra cotta bas-relief depicting the Temple of Hercules, produced by Louise Laffon in 1864, was among 500 albumen photographs purchased by the Victoria and Albert Museum from Laffon’s second series of the Campana Collection. The series featured one hundred albumen prints of sculptures in marble, terracotta, and bronze from the Musée Napoléon III (now the Louvre). Laffon’s photographs were acquired through the agent Monsieur E. Cappe, with some original gilded mounts surviving, bearing the gender-neutral stamp "L. Laffon" and 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