One of the Towers of Orleans Cathedral, as Seen from the Opposite Tower
William Henry Fox Talbot
British, 1800–1877
June 21, 1843
A salted-paper print made from William Henry Fox Talbot’s calotype process that records a close view of the Gothic ornament on one of Orléans Cathedral’s towers, an attempt to document architectural detail and atmospheric effect with an early photographic method.
What strikes you is the soft, sepia-toned surface and slightly blurred edges that turn the cathedral’s lace-like tracery and carved stone into a textured, almost painterly pattern rather than a sharply detailed study.
Made in 1843, the image exemplifies how early photography began to function both as a tool for architectural documentation and as an expressive medium exploring tone, texture, and the aesthetic possibilities of photographic ‘imperfection.’
Medium
Salted paper print from a calotype
Dimensions
6 5/16 × 7 7/8" (16 × 20 cm)
Classification
Department
Credit
Acquired through the generosity of Jon L. Stryker
Accession
232.2007
Palette
Art Terms
Exhibitions
