Sebastopol from Cathcart's Hill
Cathcart Hill, named for the British general whose grave lay nearby, was the observation point from which the allied commanders of the Crimean War gathered to follow the progress of the siege of Sebastopol. This image is an interesting example of Fenton's pursuit of his own pictorial agenda, regardless of the avowed purpose of his mission. Sebastopol is barely visible in the distance. The vast, desolate emptiness seems hardly worth a battle; the picture is really about the tenuous hold of man over an indifferent terrain.
Artwork Details
- Title: Sebastopol from Cathcart's Hill
- Artist: Roger Fenton (British, 1819–1869)
- Date: 1855
- Medium: Salted paper print from glass negative
- Dimensions: Image: 21.9 x 34.7 cm (8 5/8 x 13 11/16 in.)
Mount: 41.7 x 57.2 cm (16 7/16 x 22 1/2 in.) - Classification: Photographs
- Credit Line: Gilman Collection, Purchase, Mrs. Walter Annenberg and The Annenberg Foundation Gift, 2005
- Object Number: 2005.100.68
- 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.