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Second Series

Louise Laffon

1864

photographic

From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum

Impressionism Realism Late 19th Century

Dominant colour

Second Series 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 1863–64 by Louise Laffon. Part of the "Second Series," it comes from a time when the Victoria and Albert Museum was one of the first to collect and show photos. The museum bought photos early to help artists and students study. Laffon’s work was overlooked for years before being rediscovered. Look up the Victoria and Albert Museum.

The story of this work

Overview

Louise Laffon’s 1864 Second Series consists of 500 albumen prints depicting sculptures from the Campana Collection in the Musée Napoléon III, now part of the Louvre. The Victoria and Albert Museum acquired the set through agent Monsieur E. Cappe, adding to its early photographic holdings. Laffon’s work was produced in her Paris studio, identified as Photographie Lord Byron, where she used the gender-neutral mark "L. Laffon" on gilded mounts. The series includes marble, terracotta, and bronze antiquities, reflecting the museum’s educational use of photography.

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