Bas-relief depicting the Virgin and Child in terra cotta

The relief presents a traditional Christian motif, the Virgin holding the infant Jesus, rendered in low relief. Its compact scale suggests it was intended for private devotion or as a study piece, emphasizing intimacy rather than monumental display.

Laffon captured the three‑dimensional form on paper, a rarity for the period when most sculpture images were reproduced as prints or drawings. The photograph preserves the subtle modeling of the clay surface, conveying depth through careful lighting and focus that highlight the work’s tactile qualities.

In 1864 the V&A acquired a batch of five hundred photographs from Laffon’s series on the Campana Collection, purchased through the dealer Monsieur E. Cappe. These images entered the National Art Library’s holdings and were used for teaching and research, reflecting the museum’s early commitment to photography as an educational tool.

Louise Laffon, the third woman admitted to the Société Française de la Photographie, worked at a time when female photographers were rarely acknowledged. Her contributions, alongside those of other women such as Isabel Agnes Cowper, supported the museum’s mission to broaden visual resources for artists and scholars.

The photograph survives as an uncommon example of an early photographic record of a small sculptural work, most contemporaneous images being printed on paper. Its recent rediscovery underscores the growing effort to recognize women’s roles in the development of museum photography collections.