Artwork
Monkey on Branch
Monkey on Branch is a photography by the Impressionist artist Louis Jules Duboscq-Soleil. It dates from 1855 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.
About this work
The photo looks flat at first, but if you hold it up to a stereoscope—a viewer with two lenses—it pops into 3D.
A small monkey clings to a bare branch against a plain background. The photo looks flat at first, but if you hold it up to a stereoscope—a viewer with two lenses—it pops into 3D.
This isn’t a painting or drawing. It’s an early 3D photograph, made by layering two nearly identical images. The slight differences between them trick your brain into seeing depth. Duboscq-Soleil was one of the first to sell these viewers and images in Paris.
To see more of his 3D experiments, look up Louis Jules Duboscq-Soleil (French, 1817–1886).
Overview
Monkey on Branch is an early stereoscopic daguerreotype photograph created by Louis Jules Duboscq-Soleil in Paris, circa 1850. The image depicts a small monkey clinging to a bare branch set against a plain background, designed to be viewed in 3D through a stereoscopic viewer.
Subject & Meaning
The subject, a monkey on a branch, may have been chosen for its universal appeal and ability to demonstrate the novelty of stereoscopic photography in capturing everyday, relatable scenes in three dimensions.
Technique & Style
This photograph utilizes stereoscopy, achieved by layering two slightly different images to create an illusion of depth when viewed through a stereoscopic viewer. The flat, plain background emphasizes the monkey, highlighting the technological feat of 3D representation over aesthetic composition.
History & Provenance
Created after Duboscq-Soleil was introduced to the stereoscopic viewer by David Brewster in 1850, this work is part of the artist's early experiments with stereoscopic daguerreotypes, marking the beginning of commercial stereoscopic photography in Paris.
Context
Part of a broader practice that included photographing natural history specimens, sculptures, and painted portraits, 'Monkey on Branch' reflects Duboscq-Soleil's exploration of how stereoscopy could enhance various subjects, from art to everyday life.
Artist & collection
