Artwork
Cast of figure of Geronimo, Algerian Martyr, Museum Algiers
Cast of figure of Geronimo, Algerian Martyr, Museum Algiers is a photographic photography by Unknown. It dates from 1910 and is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum. The museum displays a sepia photograph of a plaster cast set upon a marble plinth.
About this work
Overview
The backdrop consists of a muted wall with an arched opening and indistinct objects, rendered in grayscale tones.
The museum displays a sepia photograph of a plaster cast set upon a marble plinth. The figure lies reclined, clothed in a flowing white garment, with its head turned toward the viewer’s right. A plaque on the base bears the name "GERONIMO" along with additional, partially illegible text. The backdrop consists of a muted wall with an arched opening and indistinct objects, rendered in grayscale tones.
Subject & Meaning
Identified as "Geronimo, Algerian Martyr," the work references a historical figure associated with resistance in Algeria. The reclining posture and solemn expression suggest a commemorative intent, presenting the individual as a dignified, perhaps contemplative, embodiment of sacrifice. The white robe may allude to purity or martyrdom, while the inscription anchors the figure within a specific cultural narrative.
Technique & Style
The image captures a three‑dimensional plaster model, reproduced in a photographic medium that emphasizes tonal range through sepia toning. The photograph’s shallow depth of field isolates the cast against a subdued background, highlighting surface details such as the smooth drapery and the texture of the marble base. The overall aesthetic reflects 19th‑century academic conventions of casting and documentation.
History & Provenance
The photograph originates from a collection assembled by Canon Wallace of Bristol in the late 1800s, reflecting the period’s interest in ethnographic and commemorative sculpture. After Canon Wallace’s death, the assemblage was transferred to his brother, Colonel Willoughby Wallace, who donated it to the museum in 1918. The donation expanded the institution’s holdings of photographic records of sculptural works.
Artist & collection
Domestic Scene
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The Nymph of Fontainebleau
Portrait of a Woman
Madonna and Child with Saints in the Enclosed Garden
Venus and Minerva
Family Group of Four on Sofa
Wall painting from Room H of the Villa of P. Fannius Synistor at Boscoreale
Church of S. Giorgio in Velabro - Fragments of marble sculpture, Tombs, &c., from the old Church, built into the wall.
Sunlit Tomb, St. Davids Cathedral
Bas-relief of enamelled flying angel
Westminster Abbey, Tomb of Sir Georges Villiers (d. 1605)
Mihrab of the mosque of Masih Pasha (Nur al-Din), Cairo
Sculpture - Sarcophagus of Porphyry of S. Constantia, A.D. 350
Sculptures - Marble Seat of S. Gregory in the Church of S. Stefano Rotondo, with Shallow Carving, c. A.D. 590.
York Minster, North Transept
Gloucester Cathedral, The North Ambulatory, Tomb and Effigy of Osric of Hwicce
Cathedral, Santiago, Spain, Portico de la Gloria, Sculpture on North wall
Ostia - View in the Museum
Cathedral, Santiago, Spain, Portico de la Gloria, detail of column at South wall