ticketsMember | Make a donation

Garden of Selvia, Syracuse, Sicily

1846
Not on view
The monk’s gesture of prayer in this image by George Wilson Bridges is a touchstone of stillness against the impressive landscape and vegetation that rise up behind him. Bridges was an Anglican reverend and friend of William Henry Fox Talbot, the inventor of the calotype (paper negative), who instructed him on the method before it was patented. Bridges was also one of the earliest photographers to embark upon a tour of the Mediterranean region; he wrote to Talbot that he conceived of the excursion both as a technical mission to advance photography and as a pilgrimage to collect imagery of religious sites.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Garden of Selvia, Syracuse, Sicily
  • Artist: George Wilson Bridges (British, 1788–1864)
  • Date: 1846
  • Medium: Salted paper print from paper negative
  • Dimensions: Image: 6 15/16 × 8 9/16 in. (17.7 × 21.7 cm)
    Sheet: 7 5/16 × 8 13/16 in. (18.5 × 22.4 cm)
  • Classification: Photographs
  • Credit Line: Bequest of Maurice B. Sendak, 2012
  • Object Number: 2013.159.1
  • Curatorial Department: Photographs

More Artwork

More Artwork
A slider containing 5 items.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Temple of Victory, George Wilson Bridges British, Salted paper print from paper negative
Temple of Victory
George Wilson Bridges
ca. 1848
Benedictine Convent, Catania, George Wilson Bridges British, Salted paper print from paper negative
Benedictine Convent, Catania
George Wilson Bridges
1846
[Colosseum, Rome], George Wilson Bridges British, Salted paper print from paper negative
[Colosseum, Rome]
George Wilson Bridges
1850s
[The Photographer before his Tent on the Site of the Pyramid of Khafre (Chephren)], George Wilson Bridges British, Salted paper print from paper negative
[The Photographer before his Tent on the Site of the Pyramid of Khafre (Chephren)]
George Wilson Bridges
1851
Temple of Wingless Victory, Lately Restored, George Wilson Bridges British, Paper negative
Temple of Wingless Victory, Lately Restored
George Wilson Bridges
1848

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.