Artwork

Cathedral, Santiago, Spain, Portico de la Gloria, detail of column at South wall

Cathedral, Santiago, Spain, Portico de la Gloria, detail of column at South wall is a photographic photography by the Impressionist artist Charles Thurston Thompson. It dates from 1867 and is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum.

About this work

Taken in 1867, it shows how the old architecture looked before modern restorations.

This photo zooms in on a stone column inside Santiago de Compostela’s cathedral. Taken in 1867, it shows how the old architecture looked before modern restorations. The shot is part of a series made for artists and scholars to study up close.

Thompson worked for the Victoria and Albert Museum. His job was to photograph art and buildings across Europe. This campaign in Spain gave the museum new reference images.

Check out more of Thompson’s work at the Victoria and Albert Museum.

Overview

This 1867 photograph by Charles Thurston Thompson captures a detail of the Portico de la Gloria at Santiago de Compostela Cathedral in Spain, showcasing the stone column on the south wall before modern restorations.

Technique & Style

Thompson's work exemplifies early museum photography, documenting art and architecture for reference and study. The image provides a close-up view, allowing artists and scholars to examine the intricate details of the cathedral's architecture.

History & Provenance

Thompson, the Victoria and Albert Museum's first Official Museum Photographer, took this image during a photographic campaign in Spain and Portugal. The V&A retains both the original photograph and a bound volume of similar images published by the Arundel Society.

Context

The photograph was part of a larger collection used by artists, scholars, and the national schools of art and design. It was also available for sale to the public, demonstrating the various ways photographs circulated beyond the museum.