Accession Number
1972/2.382

Title
Bust of Patroclus

Artist(s)
William Henry Fox Talbot

Artist Nationality
British (modern)

Object Creation Date
1844

Medium & Support
salted paper print

Dimensions
6 15/16 in x 6 15/16 in (17.6 cm x 17.6 cm);19 5/16 in x 14 5/16 in (49.05 cm x 36.35 cm);8 7/8 in x 7 5/16 in (22.5 cm x 18.6 cm);6 15/16 in x 6 15/16 in (17.62 cm x 17.62 cm)

Credit Line
Museum Purchase

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. 

Primary Object Classification
Photograph

Collection Area
Photography

Rights
If you are interested in using an image for a publication, please visit http://umma.umich.edu/request-image for more information and to fill out the online Image Rights and Reproductions Request Form.

Keywords
Roman sculpture styles
bust
busts (figures)
calotypes (negatives)
photographic processes
salted paper prints
sculpture (visual works)
statues
still lifes
stone
stone (worked rock)