Who created "[Plaster Casts of Bodies, Pompeii]"?

[Plaster Casts of Bodies, Pompeii] was created by Giorgio Sommer in ca. 1875.

When was "[Plaster Casts of Bodies, Pompeii]" created?

This artwork was created ca. 1875.

What medium is "[Plaster Casts of Bodies, Pompeii]"?

[Plaster Casts of Bodies, Pompeii] is Albumen print from glass negative.

Is "[Plaster Casts of Bodies, Pompeii]" in the public domain?

Yes, [Plaster Casts of Bodies, Pompeii] is in the public domain and available for free download under CC0 license.

[Plaster Casts of Bodies, Pompeii]

Giorgio Sommer

ca. 1875

Medium

Albumen print from glass negative

Dimensions

Image: 27.3 x 38.4 cm (10 3/4 x 15 1/8 in.) Sheet: 27.8 x 38.4 cm (10 15/16 x 15 1/8 in.) Mount: 47.8 x 55.8 cm (18 13/16 x 21 15/16 in.)

Classification

Photographs

Department

Photographs

Museum

Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY

Credit

Purchase, Harriett Ames Charitable Trust Gift, 2012

Accession Number

2012.111

Tags

Human Figures

Art Historical Context

In the haunting *Plaster Casts of Bodies, Pompeii* (ca. 1875), Italian-based photographer Giorgio Sommer captures a poignant relic of ancient tragedy. This albumen print from a glass depicts the plaster molds of volcanic ash voids that preserved the final poses of Pompeii's victims during the catastrophic eruption of Mount Vesuvi in 79 CE. Sommer, renowned for his meticulous documentation of archaeological sites, immortalizes these casts—created through a innovative 19th-century technique that poured liquid plaster into ash cavities to reveal human forms frozen in time. The medium exemplifies...

About the Artist

Giorgio Sommer

Giorgio Sommer, born Georg Sommer on September 2, 1834, in Frankfurt am Main within the German Confederation, emerged as one of 19th-century Europe's most prolific photographers. After studying business in his hometown, where his family fortune was reportedly lost to his father's gambling, Sommer apprenticed as a photographer before launching his professional career in Switzerland, producing relie...

[Plaster Casts of Bodies, Pompeii]

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