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Marble socle ornamented in bas-relief

Louise Laffon

1864

photographic

From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum

Impressionism Realism Late 19th Century

Dominant colour

Marble socle ornamented in bas-relief 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 is a photograph from 1863–1864 by Louise Laffon. It shows a marble socle with carved relief. The image fits in the overlap between Impressionism and Realism, two movements that blurred early photography with older traditions. The Victoria and Albert Museum began collecting photographs in 1852. That makes this image part of a first wave—nearly as old as the museum itself. Look up the Victoria and Albert Museum next.

The story of this work

Overview

The marble socle is depicted in an albumen print from a series of 500 photographs documenting objects from the Campana Collection at the Musée Napoléon III in Paris, later part of the Louvre. The photograph was produced by Louise Laffon, a French photographer whose work was acquired by the Victoria and Albert Museum in 1864. Laffon’s images were intended for educational and administrative use by artists, students, and museum staff. Surviving examples of her gilded mounts bear the gender-neutral stamp "L. Laffon" alongside her studio’s 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