The Microscope; Thereza and Elinor
Medium
Salted paper print
Dimensions
Image: 7.6 × 9 cm (3 in. × 3 9/16 in.) (a) Image: 13.8 × 10.5 cm (5 7/16 × 4 1/8 in.) (b)
Classification
Photographs
Department
Photographs
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gilman Collection, Gift of The Howard Gilman Foundation, 2005
Accession Number
2005.100.382 (15a, b)
Tags
Art Historical Context
In the mid-19th century, as photography emerged as a revolutionary medium, John Dillwyn Llewelyn a pioneering Welsh photographer and botanist, captured intimate family moments that bridged art and science. *The Microscope; Thereza and El* (1853–56) features his daughters Thereza and Elinor, likely posed with a microscope, highlighting the era's fascination with scientific discovery. Co-credited to Thereza Dillwyn Llew, who herself pursued photography and astronomy, this double salted paper print (one small at 7.6 × 9 cm, the other larger at 13.8 × 10.5 cm) reflects collaborative creativity wit...
About the Artist
John Dillwyn Llewelyn|Thereza Dillwyn Llewelyn
John Dillwyn Llewelyn (1810–1882) was a pioneering Welsh photographer and botanist whose innovative images captured the dramatic landscapes of his Penllergare estate and the Welsh coast. Born on 12 January 1810 in Swansea as the eldest son of botanist Lewis Weston Dillwyn and Mary Dillwyn, he inherited the Penllergare estate from his maternal grandfather, Colonel John Llewelyn, upon coming of age ...