House with Greenhouse, Virginia
c. 1850
Medium
daguerreotype
Dimensions
image (visible): 6.6 × 9 cm (2 5/8 × 3 9/16 in.) mat: 7.9 × 10.3 cm (3 1/8 × 4 1/16 in.) case (closed): 9.5 × 12 × 1.6 cm (3 3/4 × 4 3/4 × 5/8 in.)
Classification
Photograph
Department
CPH
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Robert B. Menschel and the Vital Projects Fund
Accession Number
2016.31.1
Rights
Public Domain
Art Historical Context
Step into the early days of photography with *House with Greenhouse, Virginia a captivating daguerreotype from around 1850. Created by an anonymous American photographer, this petite image—measuring just 6.6 × 9 cm—captures a Virginia residence framed by its elegant greenhouse. Encased in a protective leather or thermoplastic shell, typical of the era, it invites close inspection under soft light, revealing intricate details like sunlit windows and architectural flourishes. Daguerreotypes, invented by Louis Daguerre in 1839 and introduced to America soon after, marked a revolutionary leap fro...
About the Artist
American 19th Century
The artist cataloged as "American, 19th Century" represents a collective of unidentified painters active in the United States during the nineteenth century, with 380 known artworks preserved in this virtual museum's collection. These works span a diverse array of genres typical of the era, including portraits, landscapes, still lifes, and genre scenes, reflecting the burgeoning artistic output of ...