Artwork
Trafalgar Square
Trafalgar Square is a photographic photography by Alvin Langdon Coburn. It dates from 1909 and is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum.
About this work
Overview
A sepia-toned photomechanical print captures a serene street scene in Trafalgar Square, focusing on a large, ornate fountain surrounded by buildings, with the image mounted on a greenish-grey card.
Subject & Meaning
The photograph emphasizes the fountain as a central element, leveraging its reflective water to mirror the sky and adjacent architecture, thereby creating a sense of tranquility amidst the urban backdrop.
Technique & Style
The artist employs contrasting light and shadow to highlight the fountain against its lighter surroundings, while the sepia tone contributes to the overall calm and timeless atmosphere of the scene.
History & Provenance
No specific historical or provenance details are provided for this work beyond its attribution to Alvin Langdon Coburn.
Context
Part of Alvin Langdon Coburn's body of work exploring the interplay of light in urban landscapes, this piece reflects his interest in capturing the aesthetic nuances of public spaces.
Legacy
This photograph exemplifies Coburn's contribution to early 20th-century photography, particularly in his use of light effects to evoke mood in cityscapes.
Artist & collection
Artist
Alvin Langdon Coburn kept a tiny camera in every coat pocket, snapping odd angles of London’s streets while pretending to window-shop.
The British Lion
London: A Sphinx
On the Embankment
A Sphinx, The Embankment, London
Bust of Dionysus, Platon
'Stele with Buddhist triad', China, 581-618 or later, 'Bodhisattva', Japan, 'Bowl', (origins unknown), 'Figure of Avalokiteshvara', Japanese, after statue in Horyuji Temple, early 20th century, 'Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara (Kannon)', Japan, late 8th century, from the Charles Lang Freer Collection
After Meryon - Le Stryge
'Jar', Raqqa, Syria, 11th-12th century, 'Head and Bust (fragment) of a man', Egypt, ca. 1980-1630 BCE, face later recarved, from the Charles Lang Freer Collection
A Fountain
Untitled
Château de Blois
Paysage (Landscape)
Paysage (Landscape)
Départ pour le sabbat (Departure for the Sabbath)
Two Peasant Women Before a Small Baptistry (above); Venice, Grand Canal (beow)
Départ pour le sabbat (Departure for the Sabbath)
Pendentive of dome over mihrab in the mosque of Qadi Yahya Zayn al-Din (Habbaniyya), Cairo
Untitled