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Bas-relief portion of a frieze of two draped females and an altar 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 two draped females and an altar 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 photo from 1863-64. It shows a bas-relief of two draped women and an altar in terra cotta. Louise Laffon made it during the early days of Impressionism and Realism. The Victoria and Albert Museum started collecting photos in 1852. That was before most museums even thought to save them. The museum used photos to help artists and students study shapes and details. Check out Laffon, Louise.

The story of this work

Overview

This bas-relief fragment depicts two draped female figures flanking an altar, rendered in terra cotta. The photograph is part of a series produced by Louise Laffon in 1864, documenting objects from the Campana Collection held at the Musée Napoléon III in Paris. The Victoria and Albert Museum acquired 500 albumen prints from this series, including this example, through the agent Monsieur E. Cappe. Surviving mounts from Laffon’s original presentation bear the gender-neutral stamp "L. Laffon" alongside her studio’s 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