Carved Tomb at the Depot Near Pekin, The Place Where the Guns and Ammunition was (sic) Left When the Army Marched to Pekin
Felice Beato
Italian, 1825–1903
October 1860
An 1860 albumen silver print by Felice Beato that records a carved tomb and a tortoise‑mounted memorial stele near Peking, made to document the material traces left during the Anglo‑French advance.
The tall, pale stele mounted on a sculpted tortoise dominates the sunlit foreground while a shadowed, ornately carved gateway and dappled trees recede behind it, the photo's strong contrasts and crisp surface detail making the stonework feel immediate and tactile.
The image exemplifies early documentary photography used in imperial reportage, shaping Western views of China by combining archival detail with composed, almost painterly framing and helping to establish photography as a record of historical and military events.
Medium
Albumen silver print
Dimensions
9 9/16 × 11 1/2" (24.4 × 29.3 cm)
Classification
Department
Credit
Acquired through the generosity of Shirley C. Burden and the Estate of Vera Louise Fraser
Accession
1309.1974
Palette
Exhibitions
