Artwork Page for The Royal Porcelain Factory at Sèvres

Details / Information for The Royal Porcelain Factory at Sèvres

The Royal Porcelain Factory at Sèvres

c. 1851–1852

Henri-Victor Regnault

(French, 1810–1878)
Culture
France, 19th century
Medium
salted paper print from calotype negative
Measurements
Image: 35.1 x 43.9 cm (13 13/16 x 17 5/16 in.); Matted: 55.9 x 66 cm (22 x 26 in.)
Credit Line
John L. Severance Fund 1995.76
Public Domain
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Location
Not on view
Print

Description

A chemist and physicist known for his studies in thermodynamics and the properties of gases, Henri-Victor Regnault was director of France's renowned Sèvres porcelain factory from 1852 to 1871. He was also a master of early scientific, portrait, and landscape photography. Aside from a technical interest in its practical application, Regnault accepted photography as a means of personal expression. In this poetic image, the aerial viewpoint and soft light and shadow unite the strong, geometric forms of the town and factory buildings with the dense foliage of the surrounding countryside.
A horizontally oriented salted paper print in muted sepia tones shows a landscape of buildings nestled in a wooded valley. In the foreground, a shingled roof with two brick chimneys stretches across the bottom. Light-colored buildings are scattered among dense clusters of trees in the distance. To the right, a steep, forested hill rises toward a large, pale sky, capturing the detailed textures of the foliage and architecture throughout the scene.

The Royal Porcelain Factory at Sèvres

c. 1851–1852

Henri-Victor Regnault

(French, 1810–1878)
France, 19th century

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