Mrs. Craik
1850/59
Medium
Calotype
Dimensions
Image/paper, oval: 11.8 × 8.7 cm (4 11/16 × 3 7/16 in.)
Classification
salted paper print
Department
Photography and Media
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
34904
Art Historical Context
**Mrs. Craik** is a delicate portrait captured in the 1850s using the calotype process, an early photographic technique invented by William Henry Fox Talbot the late 1830s. This salted paper print, measuring just 11.8 × 8.7 cm in an oval format, presents an intimate view of its sitter, evoking the refined miniature portraits of the era. Produced during photography's formative years, it reflects the rapid adoption of the medium in Britain and beyond, where calotypes offered a groundbreaking alternative to the one-of-a-kind daguerreotype. The calotype's charm lies in its paper negative, which a...
About the Artist
Unknown
The artist designated as "Unknown" in our virtual museum's collection exemplifies a poignant chapter in art history: creators whose identities have faded into obscurity despite the enduring power of their work. With only one known artwork attributed to them in our holdings, this figure represents countless anonymous hands that shaped visual culture across centuries. Museums worldwide, including th...