Bust of Patroclus
William Henry Fox Talbot
Description
Subject Matter:
Centered in the middle of the frame, this photograph depicts a white statue of a man’s bust against a dark background. The Hellenistic bust is of a bearded man, his neck craned to the side, brow furrowed and gaze intent. Widely considered the father of positive-negative photography, William Henry Fox Talbot published this photo in the 1844 book, The Pencil of Nature, in which he presented photography’s usefulness and application towards a variety of subjects. With this photograph he describes how to achieve optimal results when photographing statuary. The bust is that of Patroclus, a classical character in Homer’s Illiad.
Physical Description:
This photograph depicts a closeup view of a white sculptural bust of a bearded man. The bust is centered against a dark background.
Usage Rights:
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