A professional black and white portrait of a woman in an intricate designed gown against a dark background looking solemnly to the right side of the frame.

Timothy Cole

Helena Modjeska as Juliet

Maker

Timothy Cole (American, 1852-1931), engraver

Culture

American

Title

Helena Modjeska as Juliet

Year

ca. 1878-1881

Medium

Materials/Techniques

Techniques

Materials

wood engraving

Supports

Dimensions

17.8 x 12.5 cm (7 x 4 15/16 inches) (plate)

Signature / Inscription / Marks

Original--Recto:Printed in UR corner in black ink:PLATE VVerso:In pencil in LL corner:51.087.42

Marks: Stamped in brown ink on verso:RISD/MUSEUM/OF ART [and] PROVIDENCE/RHODE ISLANDinscribed in circle.

Credit / Object Number

Credit

Gift of Miss Helen C. Robertson

Object Number

51.087.42

Type

Exhibition History

Process Work
Intersections of Photography and Print ca. 1825 to Today
Feb 01, 2025 – Jul 20, 2025

Label copy

The portrait of Polish actress Helena Modjeska is an example of photo-xylography, or photographic wood engraving. The engraver, Timothy Cole, worked directly on a woodblock prepared with a photographic image. Making tiny cuts, Cole translated the entire original photograph into the network of lines that you see in this print. Portraits of famous actors such as this one were frequently published in popular magazines like Century.

Image use

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Public Domain This object is in the Public Domain and available under a CC0 1.0 Universal (CC0 1.0) Public Domain Dedication

Tombstone

Timothy Cole (American, 1852-1931), engraver
Helena Modjeska as Juliet, ca. 1878-1881
Wood engraving on paper
17.8 x 12.5 cm (7 x 4 15/16 inches) (plate)
Gift of Miss Helen C. Robertson 51.087.42

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