[Henry LeJeune]
![[Henry LeJeune] by John and Charles Watkins](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fimages.artheonmuseum.org%2Fmet%2Fph%2Fthumb%2Fhenry-lejeune-685849.webp&w=3840&q=75)
Medium
Albumen silver print
Dimensions
Approx. 10.2 x 6.3 cm (4 x 2 1/2 in.)
Classification
Photographs
Department
Photographs
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
The Albert Ten Eyck Gardner Collection, Gift of the Centennial Committee, 1970
Accession Number
1970.659.509
Tags
Art Historical Context
This albumen silver print created in the 186s by the London-based photographers John and Charles Watkins, offers a refined profile portrait of the British artist Henry Le Jeune. Measuring just 4 by 2½ inches, the small format aligns with the popular carte-de-visite photographs of the Victorian era, which allowed individuals to exchange and collect likenesses much like cards. The crisp silhouette Le Jeune’s against a plain background, the period’s taste dignified, classically inspired portraiture. Albumen were the dominant photographic medium the 1860, prized for their rich range and fine deta...
About the Artist
John and Charles Watkins · 1840–1875
**John and Charles Watkins: Pioneers of Victorian Portrait Photography** John Watkins (1823–1874) and his younger brother Octavius Charles Watkins (1836–1882) were prominent British portrait photographers whose collaborative studio captured the luminaries of Victorian Britain.) Born in Raglan, Monmouthshire, Wales, John began his career around 1840, establishing a studio at 34 Parliament Street i...