Bas-relief of two marble portions of a chambranle of the renaissance period

The photograph is a black‑and‑white reproduction typical of mid‑19th‑century practices, likely produced using the albumen print process. The composition emphasizes clarity and tonal contrast to reveal the relief’s sculptural depth and the marble’s surface texture.

The picture was part of a series commissioned from French photographer Louise Laffon, a member of the Société Française de la Photographie. In 1864 the V&A purchased five hundred of Laffon’s images, acquired through the dealer Monsieur E. Cappe, to augment its collection of reference material for artists and scholars.

At the time, the museum’s founding director, Henry Cole, advocated for photography as a tool to broaden the visual resources available to students and staff. Photographs like this one complemented other reprographic methods, providing accurate visual documentation of artworks that could be studied without direct access to the originals.

The inclusion of Laffon’s work highlights the often‑overlooked contributions of women photographers to the museum’s early photographic programme. Their images continue to support research, conservation, and education, underscoring photography’s enduring role in the V&A’s mission.