[Water fowl]

Longjumeau's Amateur French

On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 850

Dead game birds are strung against an austere background or propped carelessly on a carved table; seemingly artless, these scenes nevertheless convey a dark beauty that is matched by the velvety tones of the rich albumen prints in which the birds have been caught and forever stilled by an anonymous photographer. Known only as the "Amateur of Longjumeau," after one of the regions of France where the images were made, the creator of these pictures ostensibly worked for the pleasure gained from making images. The prints were not editioned, sold, or exhibited. Notably different from the more decorative compositions that perhaps inspired them, such as the still lifes of Charles Nègre (2005.100.314) and Adolphe Braun (47.149.53), these bold pictures seem more modern by comparison.

[Water fowl], Longjumeau's Amateur (French, active 1860s–70s), Albumen silver print from glass negative

This image cannot be enlarged, viewed at full screen, or downloaded.

Open Access

As part of the Met's Open Access policy, you can freely copy, modify and distribute this image, even for commercial purposes.

API

Public domain data for this object can also be accessed using the Met's Open Access API.