Roger Fenton

Still Life

Maker

Roger Fenton (English, 1819-1869)

Title

Still Life

Year

1860-1862

Medium

Materials/Techniques

Techniques

Materials

albumen

Dimensions

Sheet: 43.8 x 80.6 cm (17 1/4 x 31 3/4 inches)

Signature / Inscription / Marks

Printed under image:Photographed by R. Fenton

Credit / Object Number

Credit

Jesse Metcalf Fund

Object Number

80.097

Type

Publications

Exhibition History

Early Exposures
19th-Century Photography from the Collection
Mar 13, 2015 – Jul 19, 2015

Label copy

In this still-life, Roger Fenton emphasized tactile diversity, such as the shiny beads of the necklace, the smoothness of the embroidered Asian silk, the soft variety of the bouquet, and the hard carved marble of the funereal jewelry box. Sensorial and mysterious, he imbued it with a vanitas theme, aligned with his desire to claim photography as equal to or even surpassing painting.

The appointed photographer at the British Museum from 1854 to 1859, Fenton developed great skill photographing stationary objects of various sizes and materials. This image is part of a series of personal works he began in 1860 of objects arranged on marble or fabric.

Chinese Export Silver
A Legacy in Luxury
Mar 08, 1985 – Apr 21, 1985
A Case for Boxes
Oct 16, 1980 – Nov 16, 1980

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

Roger Fenton (English, 1819-1869)
Still Life, 1860-1862
Albumen print from glass negative
Sheet: 43.8 x 80.6 cm (17 1/4 x 31 3/4 inches)
Jesse Metcalf Fund 80.097

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