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Bas-relief portion of frieze of Genii with double flutes and lyre

Louise Laffon

1864

photographic

From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum

Impressionism Realism Late 19th Century

Dominant colour

Bas-relief portion of frieze of Genii with double flutes and lyre 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

Louise Laffon made this photo between 1863 and 1864. It’s a bas-relief portion of a frieze showing figures playing double flutes and a lyre. The work sits in the Impressionist and Realist movements. The Victoria and Albert Museum has collected photographs since the 1850s. Founding director Henry Cole saw early how photos could help artists and students. See how Laffon combined sculpture and photography. Next, look up Laffon, Louise.

The story of this work

Overview

A bas-relief portion of a frieze depicting genii playing double flutes and a lyre was photographed by Louise Laffon in 1864 as part of a series documenting sculptures from the Campana Collection at the Musée Napoléon III in Paris. The Victoria and Albert Museum acquired 500 albumen prints from this series, including this work, through the agent Monsieur E. Cappe. Laffon’s photographs were originally presented on gilded mounts bearing the gender-neutral stamp "L. Laffon" and the studio name "Photographie Lord Byron." The series included images of marble, terracotta, and bronze sculptures,…

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