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Enamelled earthenware bas-relief of the deposition from the cross

Louise Laffon

1864

photographic

From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum

Impressionism Realism Late 19th Century Lamentation of Christ

Dominant colour

Enamelled earthenware bas-relief of the deposition from the cross is a 1864 photographic by Louise Laffon, a Impressionism work, depicting Lamentation of Christ, 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 1863–64 photograph shows a bas-relief scene of Christ’s body being lowered from the cross. It’s made of enamelled earthenware, not paint—an unusual choice in 1860s France. The image fits between Realism and Impressionism, two movements pushing art to look closer to life or light. Women artists like Louise Laffon rarely got the spotlight back then. The Victoria and Albert Museum has held photography since the 1850s. Check out the museum.

The story of this work

Overview

This enamelled earthenware bas-relief depicting the deposition from the cross was created by Louise Laffon in 1864. It is one of 500 albumen prints purchased by the Victoria and Albert Museum from Laffon, documenting objects from the Campana Collection at the Musée Napoléon III in Paris. The series includes architecture, sculpture, ornamentation, terra cotta, and marble, with this particular work focusing on a religious scene in bas-relief form. The prints were originally part of the National Art Library’s collection and were intended for educational and administrative use by artists,…

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