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Bas-relief portion of a frieze of scrollwork with masks 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 scrollwork with masks 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

The story of this work

Overview

A terra cotta bas-relief fragment from a scrollwork frieze featuring masks was created by Louise Laffon in 1864. The work is part of a series of albumen photographs documenting sculptures and terracottas from the Campana Collection at the Musée Napoléon III in Paris. The Victoria and Albert Museum acquired 500 prints from this series, which were used for educational and administrative purposes. Laffon’s photographs were mounted with a gender-neutral stamp, obscuring her identity as a female photographer.

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