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Sculpture - Statue of a barbarian King a prisoner, now in the Palazzo de' Conservatori on the Capitol

John Henry Parker

1867

photographic

From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum

Impressionism Realism Late 19th Century

Dominant colour

Sculpture - Statue of a barbarian King a prisoner, now in the Palazzo de' Conservatori on the Capitol is a 1867 photographic by John Henry Parker, a Impressionism work, held at Victoria and Albert Museum.

Who painted this?: John Henry Parker
When & what style?: 1867 · Impressionism
Where can I see it?: Victoria and Albert Museum

About this work

This is a black-and-white photo of a carved statue. The figure stands inside a niche, dressed in a long robe with a belt and draped fabric over one arm. His hair is short and messy, and his face looks serious. The statue is standing on a small pedestal, with a chain wrapped around one ankle. The photo itself is old and grainy, showing the statue’s details clearly. This image was taken in the 1800s, but the sculpture is likely from an earlier time. Check out the Victoria and Albert Museum to see more works like this.

The story of this work

Overview

A photograph documents a Roman sculpture housed in the Palazzo de' Conservatori on the Capitoline Hill, depicting an imprisoned foreign king. The image is part of a larger series of over 3,300 photographs of Rome's classical and early modern monuments and artworks, produced between 1864 and 1879 under the direction of John Henry Parker. The project involved multiple local photographers and was later published in Parker’s multi-volume work *Archaeology of Rome*. The Victoria and Albert Museum holds a significant collection of these early photographs.

Read the full account in the museum source.

About the artist

Artist

John Henry Parker

John Henry Parker liked to explore old churches in Rome. He'd photograph the sculptures and carvings he found. One thing that stands out is his attention to detail - he'd capture tiny parts of bigger pieces, like the…

See the richer artist page