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Thomas Leverton Donaldson

David Octavius Hill; Robert Adamson

Artwork Details

Thomas Leverton Donaldson
1843-1847
David Octavius Hill; Robert Adamson
salted paper print
8 in x 6 in (20.4 cm x 15.2 cm);14 5/16 in x 19 5/16 in (36.35 cm x 49.05 cm);14 13/16 in x 10 11/16 in (37.6 cm x 27.2 cm);8 in x 6 in (20.4 cm x 15.2 cm)
Museum Purchase
1989/1.57

Description

Subject Matter:

Printed in rich brown tones, this photograph is a portrait of an older, seated man in a three piece suit. The man reclines on the armrest of his chair, his head turned to the side, eyes downcast and appearing to smile. His right hand idly holds an eye-glass. Behind him is evidence of an interior setting, however the photograph’s legibility beyond the sitter degrades considerably. The man is the Scottish architect, Thomas Leverton Donaldson. The photographers who created this image, David Octavius Hill and Robert Adamson, received instruction from William Henry Fox Talbot, the inventor of the calotype. Hill and Adamson enjoyed a deeply prolific collaboration together, which was tragically cut short by Hill’s premature death. In the five years they worked together, they produced a remarkable body of work that served to elevate perception of the newly invented process into an artistic medium. 

Physical Description:

This photograph is a portrait of a seated man in a three piece suit. He holds an eye-glass in his right hand. 

Usage Rights:

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