Bas-relief portion of frieze with tritons in terra cotta

The relief portrays mythological sea‑creatures—tritons—engaged in a fluid, aquatic tableau. Their stylised forms and dynamic poses reflect the neoclassical fascination with antiquity, serving both as decorative ornamentation and as a visual study of classical motifs for contemporary artists and scholars.

Photographed on glass plate, the image renders the shallow relief’s subtle modelling and the earthy hue of the terra‑cotta. The composition isolates a narrow strip of the frieze, emphasizing the linear rhythm of the figures while preserving the texture of the ceramic surface.

The photograph originates from a series produced by Louise Laffon, a French photographer active in the 1860s. In 1864 the V&A purchased 500 of Laffon’s images, including this one, through the agent Monsieur E. Cappe, adding them to the National Art Library’s collection.

Laffon’s work formed part of a broader effort by the museum’s founding director, Henry Cole, to use photography as an educational tool. By documenting objects from the Campana collection—then housed in the Musée Napoléon III—the images provided artists, students, and museum staff with visual references beyond the limited access to original pieces.