ticketsMember | Make a donation

Spoils of Wood and Stream

Roger Fenton British
1858–59
Not on view
Although still life was rare in French and American photography in the mid-nineteenth century, in Britain the popularity of seventeenth- and eighteenth-century Dutch and Flemish still-life painting suggested a tradition worth emulating. In 1860 Fenton explored the genre photographically in a series of sumptuous studio compositions of fruit, flowers, game, and tableware. Made outdoors, this photograph is very likely the link between Fenton's riverscapes of the 1850s and his later virtuoso still lifes. The composition seems to slowly eddy around the bellying basket of river trout. From the glistening rock to the suave arc of the trophy salmon, from the weathered log to the damp fur of the pendant rabbits, Fenton demonstrated how the tradition could be sensuously revitalized by a fresh eye--and a good catch.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Spoils of Wood and Stream
  • Artist: Roger Fenton (British, 1819–1869)
  • Date: 1858–59
  • Medium: Albumen silver print from glass negative
  • Dimensions: Image: 32.8 x 36.2 cm. (12 15/16 x 14 1/4 in.)
  • Classification: Photographs
  • Credit Line: Purchase, Joyce and Robert Menschel Gift, Pfeiffer Fund, and Margaret W. and Matthew B. Weston Gift, 1993
  • Object Number: 1993.68
  • Curatorial Department: Photographs

More Artwork

More Artwork
A slider containing 5 items.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
On the Beach, Hythe
Roger Fenton
1860
Cossack Bay, Balaklava, Roger Fenton British, Salted paper print from glass negative
Cossack Bay, Balaklava
Roger Fenton
1855
Laughing Satyr, Roger Fenton British, Salted paper print from glass negative
Laughing Satyr
Roger Fenton
1854–58
Birth of St. John, Roger Fenton British, Albumen silver print
Birth of St. John
Roger Fenton
1857
The Temple. Collection of Antiquities, Roger Fenton British, Albumen silver print from glass negative
The Temple. Collection of Antiquities
Roger Fenton
1850s

Related Content

Publications

Books, guides, and catalogues published by The Met.

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.