[Buddha Sculpture]

Art Historical Context

This exquisite albumen silver print from 1870s captures a serene Buddha sculpture, photographed by Suzuki Shin'ichi a pioneering Japanese photographer during the early Meiji era (1868–1912). Suzuki specialized in documenting Japan's ancient cultural treasures, using photography to preserve and share icons amid rapid modernization. Titled simply *[Buddha Sculpture]*, this 25.2 x 20 cm image the Metropolitan Museum of Art Gilman Collection exemplifies how 19th-century photographers bridged traditional artistry with emerging technology. The medium—albumen silver print from glass negative, enhanc...

About the Artist

Suzuki Shin'ichi · 1835–1919

Suzuki Shin'ichi (1835–1919) was a Japanese photographer who worked during a period of extraordinary transformation in both Japanese society and the history of the photographic medium. Active during the Meiji era, when Japan was engaged in a sweeping process of modernization and opening to the world, Suzuki belonged to the generation of early Japanese photographers who helped define what photograp...