Bas-relief portion of a frieze of two satyrs in terra cotta

The relief depicts two mythological satyrs, figures associated with rustic revelry in classical art. Rendered in low relief, the composition emphasizes the muscular forms and playful interaction of the figures, reflecting the 19th‑century fascination with antiquity and its decorative motifs.

Captured by Louise Laffon, the photograph employs the wet‑collodion process typical of the era, yielding fine detail and a broad tonal range that convey the texture of the clay surface. Laffon’s careful lighting highlights the carving’s depth, aligning with contemporary realist approaches to documentary photography.

Louise Laffon, a French photographer and early member of the Société Française de la Photographie, produced a series of images of objects from the Campana Collection in Paris. In 1864 the V&A purchased five hundred of these works through the agent Monsieur E. Cappe, incorporating them into the museum’s National Art Library collection for educational use.

The photograph was created during a period when the Victoria and Albert Museum, under founding director Henry Cole, actively promoted photography as a teaching tool for artists and students. The museum’s early adoption of photographic collections, including works by women photographers like Laffon, reflects its broader mission to expand visual resources beyond traditional reproductions.