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Venus standing on a ball surrounded by Ambrini, two figures of Victory and two griffins, bas-relief in coloured stucco

Louise Laffon

1864

photographic

From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum

Impressionism Realism Late 19th Century Mythology

Dominant colour

Venus standing on a ball surrounded by Ambrini, two figures of Victory and two griffins, bas-relief in coloured stucco 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. It shows a relief sculpture of Venus on a ball, surrounded by Victory figures, griffins, and Ambrini. The piece mixes classical themes with new photographic methods. The Victoria and Albert Museum started collecting photographs in 1852. They used them to help artists and students study form and detail. This work by Louise Laffon was overlooked for years. If you like this blend of old stories and early photography, look up the Victoria and Albert Museum.

The story of this work

Overview

This photograph by Louise Laffon, produced in 1864, depicts a bas-relief in coloured stucco featuring Venus standing on a ball, surrounded by Ambrini, two figures of Victory, and two griffins. Part of a series of 100 albumen prints documenting sculptures from the Campana Collection at the Musée Napoléon III, the image was acquired by the Victoria and Albert Museum as part of a larger purchase of 500 works. Laffon’s photographs were intended for educational and artistic reference, with her studio identified neutrally as "Photographie Lord Byron" to obscure her gender. Surviving gilded mounts…

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