[Pitcher and two glasses, Venetian, 15th Century]

Ludwig Belitski German
 Baron Alexander von Minutoli German

On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 852

Stamped in Latin on the back of this print, the words "Sincerely and Truthfully," act as a guarantee: before us is an allegedly unadulterated image of indisputably real things. Veracity was critical to Ludwig Belitski, who was hired to document the decorative arts collection of a Prussian baron. In exactly the sort of project prefigured by Talbot’s Articles of Glass (exhibited nearby), he depicts this glassware with extraordinary precision, preserving a model for future makers. This and other photographs in his series were circulated among local craftsmen for study. Belitski illuminates these vessels before a dark backdrop, bringing translucent details into focus. The resulting view is as worthy of emulation as the objects themselves.

[Pitcher and two glasses, Venetian, 15th Century], Ludwig Belitski (German, 1830–1902), Salted paper print from glass negative

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