Afghans

1843
Not on view
The photographic collaboration between the painter D. O. Hill and the chemist Robert Adamson was a fruitful blending of the men’s respective talents. Hill’s membership in the Royal Scottish Academy gave the business partners access to a clientele of artists who sought photographic studies of posed models for their paintings. This photograph was likely a commission from the academy’s president Sir William Allan, who had collected exotic costumes and armor while traveling through Russia. During the 1840s Allan exhibited a series of Orientalist paintings depicting Circassians, an ethnic group from the Northern Caucasus. Here subtle shadows obscure the models’ faces, lending an air of mystery and drama to the imposing armor-clad figures.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Afghans
  • Photography Studio: Hill and Adamson (British, active 1843–1848)
  • Artist: David Octavius Hill (British, Perth, Scotland 1802–1870 Edinburgh, Scotland)
  • Artist: Robert Adamson (British, St. Andrews, Scotland 1821–1848 St. Andrews, Scotland)
  • Person in Photograph: Person in photograph Edward William Lane (British, Hereford 1801–1876 Worthing)
  • Date: 1843
  • Medium: Salted paper print from paper negative
  • Classification: Photographs
  • Credit Line: Robert O. Dougan Collection, Gift of Warner Communications Inc., 1981
  • Object Number: 1981.1229.13
  • Curatorial Department: Photographs

More Artwork

Research Resources

The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.

To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.

Feedback

We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.