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Bas-relief 'The Gods of the Nile' in terra cotta

Louise Laffon

1864

photographic

From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum

Impressionism Realism Late 19th Century

Dominant colour

Bas-relief 'The Gods of the Nile' 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 terra cotta bas-relief titled *The Gods of the Nile* was made by Louise Laffon between 1863 and 1864. It’s a photograph, not a sculpture, though it looks like one. The Victoria and Albert Museum holds it now. That museum started collecting photos in 1852—long before most places saw their value. Want to dig deeper? Look up the Victoria and Albert Museum.

The story of this work

Overview

The Victoria and Albert Museum acquired a set of 500 albumen prints by Louise Laffon in 1864, featuring sculptures from the Campana Collection at the Musée Napoléon III (now the Louvre). Laffon’s photographs include a terra cotta bas-relief titled *The Gods of the Nile*, among other works in marble, terracotta, and bronze. The prints were originally sold with gilded mounts bearing the gender-neutral stamp "L. Laffon" and the studio name "Photographie Lord Byron." The series was purchased through the agent Monsieur E. Cappe to support the museum’s educational and administrative use of…

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