Figure of an Angel holding pricket candlestick by Luca della Robbia Ware

The figure depicts a celestial being, rendered in the delicate, glazed terracotta style typical of della Robbia’s workshop. The angel’s poised posture and the lit candlestick convey a devotional atmosphere, reflecting the Renaissance interest in combining sculptural form with symbolic light.

Laffon employed the wet‑collodion process, the dominant photographic method of the 1860s, which allowed for fine detail and tonal range. The resulting image records the sculpture’s surface texture and three‑dimensionality with a clarity that aligns with the Realist impulse to document objects faithfully.

The photograph entered the museum’s holdings after the V&A purchased 500 prints from Laffon’s series on the Campana Collection via the agent E. Cappe in 1864. These prints were originally catalogued within the National Art Library and intended for use by scholars, students, and museum staff.

At the time, the Victoria and Albert Museum (then the South Kensington Museum) was pioneering the systematic collection of photographs, a policy championed by founding director Henry Cole. The acquisition of Laffon’s work reflects the institution’s early commitment to using photography as an educational and documentary tool.

Laffon’s contributions, alongside those of other women photographers such as Isabel Agnes Cowper, highlight the often‑overlooked role of female practitioners in the museum’s photographic program. Their images continue to serve as valuable visual records of historic artworks and collections.