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Terra cotta bust of unnamed male

Louise Laffon

1864

photographic

From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum

Impressionism Realism Late 19th Century Heracles

Dominant colour

Terra cotta bust of unnamed male is a 1864 photographic by Louise Laffon, a Impressionism work, depicting Heracles, 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 terra cotta bust of an unnamed man. The image references the Greek hero Heracles. Photography was new then. The Victoria and Albert Museum started collecting photos early. It was the first museum to do so in 1852 and exhibit them in 1858. Look up the Victoria and Albert Museum next.

The story of this work

Overview

The Victoria and Albert Museum holds a terra cotta bust of an unnamed male figure, created by Louise Laffon in 1864. This work is part of a series of 500 albumen prints documenting sculpture and decorative arts from the Musée Napoléon III in Paris, formerly the Campana Collection. The photograph was purchased by the museum in 1864 through the Parisian photographer’s agent, Monsieur E. Cappe. Surviving examples of Laffon’s original 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