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Mount Maudit, Savoy
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Many major peaks in the Alps were first summited in the 1850s and 1860s, which aroused public interest in the mountains and created a demand for images of them. The Bisson brothers’ photograph of Mount Maudit—which translates as “cursed mountain”—makes the 14,649-foot peak seem inaccessible. In fact, it was not summited until 1878. Photographing at high altitudes necessitated climbing while carrying heavy equipment, including large glass plates and a portable darkroom, and required extraordinary technical prowess and speed in working with the chemicals at low temperatures.
| Artist / Maker | Auguste-Rosalie Bisson |
|---|---|
| Date | 1860 |
| Culture / Origin | France, 19th century |
| Medium | albumen print from wet collodion negative |
| Dimensions | Image: 23.2 x 39.2 cm (9 1/8 x 15 7/16 in.); Matted: 50.8 x 61 cm (20 x 24 in.) |
| Department | Photography |
| Type | Photograph |
About the Artist
Bisson Frères Louis-Auguste Bisson French, 1814-1876; and Auguste-Rosalie Bisson French, 1826-1900 Bisson Frères -- consisting of brothers Louis-Auguste and Auguste-Rosalie Bisson, also known as the Bissons âiné and jeune (older and younger) -- was one of the most celebrated and widely known French photographic studios and publishing houses of the 19th century. Begun by their father, a heraldic painter, the Bissons' first studio opened in Paris in 1841, shortly after the invention of the daguerreotype. Louis-Auguste, a student of architecture… Full biography →
Provenance & Source
Image & data: Cleveland Museum of Art, CC0 / Public Domain.
Condition
A detailed condition report and high-resolution photography are available from our specialists in advance of the sale.
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