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Bas-relief portion of a frieze of four masked young satyrs in terra cotta

Louise Laffon

1864

photographic

From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum

Impressionism Realism Late 19th Century

Dominant colour

Bas-relief portion of a frieze of four masked young satyrs 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 photograph from 1863-64 by Louise Laffon. It shows four masked young satyrs in a frieze. The work blends Impressionism and Realism. Back in 1852, the Victoria and Albert Museum became the first to collect and later exhibit photographs. That’s why this piece ended up in their collection. Check out the Victoria and Albert Museum next.

The story of this work

Overview

A bas-relief portion of a frieze depicting four masked young satyrs in terra cotta was photographed by Louise Laffon in 1864 as part of a series of albumen prints documenting sculptures from the Campana Collection at the Musée Napoléon III. The Victoria and Albert Museum acquired 500 works from Laffon’s series that year, including this image, through the agent Monsieur E. Cappe. Laffon’s photographs were originally mounted with gilded, gender-neutral stamps reading “L. Laffon” and her studio name, “Photographie Lord Byron.” The series included various sculptures such as marbles, terracottas,…

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