Artwork Page for Battery, Malakoff

Details / Information for Battery, Malakoff

Battery, Malakoff

1855

Leon-Eugéne Méhédin

(French, 1828–1905)

Col. Charles Langlois

(French, 1789–1870)
Culture
France, 19th century
Medium
varnished salt or albumen print from waxed paper negative
Measurements
Image: 25.9 x 31.7 cm (10 3/16 x 12 1/2 in.); Mounted: 42.5 x 53.1 cm (16 3/4 x 20 7/8 in.); Matted: 50.8 x 61 cm (20 x 24 in.)
Credit Line
John L. Severance Fund 1998.175
Public Domain
You can copy, modify, and distribute this work, all without asking permission. Learn more about CMA's Open Access Initiative.
Location
Not on view
Print

Description

Léon-Eugène Méhédin (French, 1828-1905) and Colonel Jean-Charles Langlois (French 1789-1870) Battery, Malakoff, 1855 Varnished salt print from waxed paper negative Credit line 1998.175 The only known collaboration of Léon-Eugène Méhédin and Colonel Jean-Charles Langlois is their gripping documentation of the Crimean War (1853- 56). This desolate image records the aftermath of a siege on the fortifications at Malakoff, near the Russian naval base of Sebastopol. The cannons stand like sentinels, witnesses to the horrors of combat. Only vestiges of human presence remain in the scraps of debris, the sandbags, and the crumbling embankment reinforced by a woven wall of twigs. Through their careful selection of details and the stark contrast between light and dark, the photographers conveyed a bleakness that emphasizes the brutal reality of war. The Crimean conflict was the first to be covered extensively by photographers. The battles themselves could not be recorded, however, because of the technical limitations associated with early paper and glass negative processes.
A horizontally oriented varnished salt photograph depicts a fortified military position in muted sepia tones. Two large mortars sit on uneven ground. One is positioned further back against a wall of stacked sandbags, while another sits closer to the center. Woven wicker baskets and earthen mounds form a jagged barrier to the right. The image captures the rough textures of fabric, wood, and metal throughout the debris-strewn scene.

Battery, Malakoff

1855

Leon-Eugéne Méhédin, Col. Charles Langlois

(French, 1828–1905), (French, 1789–1870)
France, 19th century

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