The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of July 15, 2026

A horizontally oriented black-and-white carbon print photograph depicts the sprawling stone ruins of the Acropolis. In the foreground, massive weathered blocks border rectangular pits. The middle ground is cluttered with hundreds of white stone fragments where two small figures stand. To the right, the Parthenon's colonnade and pediment rise against a vast, cloudy sky, while the Erechtheion stands to the left before a distant mountain ridge.

View of the Parthenon

c. 1880s

Adolphe Braun & Co.

(French, 1845–1894)
France
mammoth carbon print
Image: 37.3 x 47.1 cm (14 11/16 x 18 9/16 in.); Paper: 39.2 x 50.3 cm (15 7/16 x 19 13/16 in.)
Gift of Michael Mattis and Judith Hochberg 2021.61
Location: Not on view

Did You Know?

Carbon prints are among the stable and long-lasting photographic processes.

Description

Adolphe marketed his photos of flowers, artworks, landscapes, and monuments from across Europe throughout that continent and in North America. The Acropolis of Athens, the most famous ancient Greek site, must have sold well; Braun offered multiple views of it. The image on a carbon print is formed from pigmented gelatin, which is far more resistant to fading than the silver or metal salts in silver-based prints.
  • ?-2021
    Michael Mattis and Judith Hochberg, Scarsdale, NY
    June 7, 2021
    The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
  • {{cite web|title=View of the Parthenon|url=false|author=Adolphe Braun & Co.|year=c. 1880s|access-date=15 July 2026|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/2021.61