Arc de Septime Sévère, Rome

Art Historical Context

Created in the mid-1850s by the French firm Bisson Frères, this striking albumen print captures the Arch of Septimius Severus, a monumental Roman structure completed in 203 CE to commemorate the emperor’s military victories. The brothers, early pioneers of architectural photography, produced the image as part of their ambitious album “Reproductions photographiques des plus beaux types d’architecture et de sculpture,” which to disseminate high-quality records of historic monuments across Europe. The albumen silver process used here allowed for rich tonal depth and fine detail on a large scale, making it ideal for conveying the arch’s intricate carvings and weathered surfaces. Measuring nearly 37 by 45 centimeters, the print offered viewers an immersive, almost tangible encounter with ancient Rome at a time when travel was limited and photography was still a novel medium for preservation and study. Today housed in the Art Institute of Chicago’s photography collection, the work exemplifies how 19th-century photographers bridged art, archaeology, and education, turning fleeting light into lasting documents of cultural heritage.