Roundel, St. John, by della Robbia, Palace of Necessidades

The relief depicts the apostle John, a figure frequently represented in Christian art as a youthful, contemplative saint. Rendered in a roundel format, the composition emphasizes the saint’s serene expression and symbolic attributes, serving both devotional and decorative purposes within the palace’s interior.

Thompson employed the wet‑collodion process, the prevailing photographic method of the mid‑nineteenth century, which required a glass plate to be sensitised, exposed, and developed while still wet. The resulting image captures fine architectural detail and the texture of the stone carving, reflecting the documentary intent of the photographer.

In 1866 Cole sent Thompson on a mission to Iberia with a list of items to be photographed, including works from the Portuguese royal palaces.

Sir Henry Cole, then director of the South Kensington Museum, appointed Thompson as the institution’s first official photographer in 1856, establishing the museum’s photographic department. In 1866 Cole sent Thompson on a mission to Iberia with a list of items to be photographed, including works from the Portuguese royal palaces. The photograph entered the museum’s collection as part of this campaign.

During the 1860s the South Kensington Museum expanded its educational resources by building an extensive visual archive. Photographs were used to supplement physical objects, allowing scholars and the public to study artworks that were otherwise inaccessible. Thompson’s work exemplifies this documentary approach, prioritising accurate representation over artistic interpretation.