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Sculptures - Cornice and Tiles of the third century, found with the fragments of the Marble Plan in 1867, at SS. Cosmas and Damian.

John Henry Parker

1867

photographic

From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum

Impressionism Realism Late 19th Century

Dominant colour

Sculptures - Cornice and Tiles of the third century, found with the fragments of the Marble Plan in 1867, at SS. Cosmas and Damian. 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 photo shows broken bits of carved stone on a wooden shelf. Some pieces have faint drawings or shapes, like a rough sketch of a building. Others have rows of small carvings—faces or patterns—lined up neatly. These fragments were part of a larger structure, likely from an old building. The photo was taken in 1867 after they were dug up, so it’s a record of what survived. Check out the Victoria and Albert Museum to see more pieces like these.

The story of this work

Overview

A photograph from 1867 documents a third-century Roman cornice and tiles, recovered alongside fragments of the Severan Marble Plan near the church of SS. Cosmas and Damian. The image is part of a larger series of over 3,300 photographs documenting Rome’s classical-era monuments and artifacts, produced between 1864 and 1879 under John Henry Parker’s direction. The project involved multiple local photographers, including Adriano De Bonis and Filippo Spina, with later contributions from Charles Smeaton. The Victoria and Albert Museum holds many of these photographs taken before 1870.

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