Circular bas-relief depicting the Nativity in enamelled earthenware
1864
photographic
From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum
1864
photographic
From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum
In 1863–64, Louise Laffon made a circular clay relief of the Nativity scene. It’s tiny—just 18 centimeters across. Photographs in the 1800s were rare, and this one was lost until recently. Cole ran the new South Kensington Museum. He believed photos could teach artists and students. So he started collecting them in the 1850s. It’s an overlooked piece by a woman at the Victoria and Albert Museum.
