Italian Dagger, 16th Century, ca. 1876

Darstellung: 32.4 x 17.7 cm

Physical Description: Vidal photochromy

Inventory Number: St.F.199

Acquisition: Acquired in 2011 as a gift from Uta and Wilfried Wiegand, property of Städelscher Museums-Verein e.V.

Status: Not on display

Texts

About the Work

The world is a colourful place, but it would be several decades before this was properly represented in photography. Léon Vidal was one of the pioneers of colour photography. In 1872 he registered his photochromy technique in Paris. In this highly elaborate photomechanical printing method, which requires several black-and-white negatives, colour is added in the final stages of the production process. This photograph shows a masterpiece of goldsmithery, a sixteenth-century dagger, against a blood-red background.

Work Data

Basic Information

Title: Italian Dagger, 16th Century

Photographer

Léon Vidal

Period Produced

19th century

School

documentary photography

Object Type

photograph

Physical Description: Vidal photochromy

Material

Technique

photochrome

Label at the Time of Manufacture: Bezeichnet recto oben Mitte auf dem Trägerkarton: Druckschrift: MUSÉE NATIONAL DU LOUVRE; GALERIE D'APOLLON
Bezeichnet recto Mitte auf dem Trägerkarton: Druckschrift: ATELIERS DE PHOTOCHROMIE DU MONITEUR, PROCÉDÉ LÉON VIDAL Be. S. G. D. G., 13 QUAI VOLTAIRE, PARIS
Bezeichnet recto unten Mitte auf dem Trägerkarton: Druckschrift: POIGNARD ITALIEN; XVI E. SIÈCLE