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Tomb in terra cotta

Louise Laffon

1864

photographic

From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum

Impressionism Realism Late 19th Century

Dominant colour

Tomb in terra cotta 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

The photograph "Tomb in terra cotta" is a work by Louise Laffon. It's from 1863-1864. The Victoria and Albert Museum has a strong history of collecting photographs, starting in 1852. They were the first museum to exhibit them in 1858, recognizing photography's potential to aid artists and students. To learn more about the context of this photograph, look up the movement: Realism.

The story of this work

Overview

A photograph from a series by Louise Laffon, produced in 1864, depicts a terra cotta tomb and is part of a set of 100 albumen prints documenting sculptures from the Campana Collection at the Musée Napoléon III in Paris. The Victoria and Albert Museum acquired 500 works from this series through the agent Monsieur E. Cappe. Laffon’s images were intended for educational use by artists and students, and her gender-neutral stamp on the mounts reflects her professional presentation. The surviving gilded mounts bear the studio name "Photographie Lord Byron," referencing the Parisian street where her…

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