Open full image Pin

Helen and Menelaus, bas-relief in terra cotta

Louise Laffon

1864

photographic

From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum

Impressionism Realism Late 19th Century Chariot

Dominant colour

Helen and Menelaus, bas-relief in terra cotta is a 1864 photographic by Louise Laffon, a Impressionism work, depicting Chariot, 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 relief shows Helen and Menelaus in a quiet, dramatic scene. The artist, Louise Laffon, used photography to capture the moment. Made in 1863–1864, it blends Impressionism and Realism in one piece. It’s part of the Victoria and Albert Museum’s early photography collection. The museum began collecting photos in 1852 and used them to teach artists. This relief was overlooked for years but now gets attention. Look up the artist Louise Laffon next.

The story of this work

Overview

This mounted sepia photograph by Louise Laffon depicts a bas-relief terra cotta sculpture titled *Helen and Menelaus*. It is part of a series of 100 albumen prints produced in 1864, documenting sculptures from the Campana Collection at the Musée Napoléon III (now the Louvre). The Victoria and Albert Museum acquired 500 prints from Laffon’s series through the agent Monsieur E. Cappe. The photograph is mounted on a gilded card bearing the gender-neutral stamp "L. Laffon" and the studio 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