Open full image Pin

Crystal Palace Interior

Negretti and Zambra

1855

photographic

From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum

Impressionism Realism Early 19th Century Palette

Dominant colour

Crystal Palace Interior is a 1855 photographic by Negretti and Zambra, a Impressionism work, depicting Palette, held at Victoria and Albert Museum.

Who painted this?: Negretti and Zambra
When & what style?: 1855 · Impressionism
Where can I see it?: Victoria and Albert Museum

About this work

This is a black-and-white photo of a grand, ornate room with tall arches and detailed carvings. Statues stand on pedestals, and light streams in through high windows. The space looks like a mix of a church and a palace, with lots of columns and decorative stonework. The photo was taken with a special tool—a color checker—on top, which artists use to match colors in prints. That’s why the top half shows neat squares of different colors. If you like this kind of detailed, realistic view, look up Victoria and Albert Museum next.

The story of this work

Overview

The image shows an interior view of the Crystal Palace at Sydenham, captured in 1855 as a stereoscopic daguerreotype. A bronze statue of Cupid stands atop a fountain in the foreground, while the background features the glass-and-iron structure’s arched glazing. The daguerreotype plates are set within a black mount, framed by a passe-partout under glass.

Read the full account in the museum source.