[Henry Weekes]
![[Henry Weekes] by John and Charles Watkins](https://images.artheonmuseum.org/met/ph/thumb/henry-weekes-686150.webp)
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
1970.659.811
Tags
Art Historical Context
This albumen silver print from the 1860s captures the British sculptor Henry Weekes in a formal studio portrait. Created by the photographic firm of John and Charles Watkins, the image reflects the Victorian era’s growing fascination with photography as both a documentary tool and an artistic medium. Weekes known for his neoclassical sculptures, is presented with dignity and composure, underscoring the period’s respect for artists and intellectuals. The small format—roughly the size of a modern trading card—typifies the popular carte-de-visite photographs that allowed people to collect and ex...
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...