[Bull from Glane, Canton of Fribourg]

Art Historical Context

In 1856, French photographer Adrien Tournach captured the imposing presence of a bull from Glane in Switzerland's Canton of Frib in this salted paper print from a glass. Measuring about 7½ × 10½ inches, the image showcases the era's pioneering photographic techniques, where light-sensitive paper coated in salt was exposed to create subtle, warm-toned positives. This, popular in the 1840s–60s, marked a shift from daguerreotypes toward more reproducible prints, allowing wider dissemination of images. The photograph likely depicts a man alongside the bull, highlighting rural life and the vital role of livestock in 19th-century Swiss agriculture. Bulls symbolized strength and productivity, often documented for breeding records or local pride. Tournachon's work reflects photography's growing power to preserve everyday scenes with documentary precision, bridging art and science during a time when cameras were transforming how we viewed the world. Part of the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Gilman Collection, this piece invites us to appreciate the bull's raw majesty and the human-animal bond through mid-19th-century eyes.