Artist
William Henry Fox Talbot (British, 1800–1877)British, 1800–1877
CultureBritish
Titles
- Bush of Hydrangea in Flower
Date1843
MediumSalted paper print from paper negative
DimensionsImage: 6 1/8 × 7 13/16 in. (15.6 × 19.8 cm)
Sheet: 7 5/16 × 8 7/8 in. (18.5 × 22.6 cm)
Sheet: 7 5/16 × 8 7/8 in. (18.5 × 22.6 cm)
Credit LineMuseum purchase funded by The Brown Foundation, Inc., The Manfred Heiting Collection
Object number2004.692
Non exposé
Explore Further
Department
PhotographySpecial Collections
Object Type
Unlike daguerreotypes, the rival process announced by the Victorian polymath William Henry Fox Talbot produced a paper negative that could be used to print multiple positive photographs, each with a soft, atmospheric character. Although lacking the absolute clarity of the daguerreotype, Talbot’s process led to nearly all subsequent photography until the digital age. Talbot was a serious botanist, but one senses here that within a few years of inventing paper-print photography, Talbot was not merely taking documentary images of the world but creating images with artistic intent.
ProvenanceEx-collection Lacock Abbey; [Robert Hershkowitz Ltd., Sussex, England]; purchased by Manfred Heiting, May 2, 1989; purchased by MFAH, 2004.
Inscriptions, Signatures and Marks
Marked in black ink, verso, lower right corner: "LA210"
There is no evident signature.
Catalogue raisonnéSC165
Cataloguing data may change with further research.
If you have questions about this work of art or the MFAH Online Collection please contact us.
William Henry Fox Talbot
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William Henry Fox Talbot
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Salted paper print from paper negative
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William Henry Fox Talbot
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Salted paper print from paper negative
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William Henry Fox Talbot
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Book of salted paper prints from paper negatives
2020.346.1-.11