Untitled (San Stefano en Rotundo)

Art Historical Context

Robert MacPherson's *Untitled (San Stefano enundo)*, created around 1857, captures the striking circular form of the ancient Church of Santo Stefano Rotondo on Rome's Celio Hill. This albumen print hails from MacPherson's renowned series *Photographs of Views of*, a comprehensive visual archive of the Eternal City's architectural wonders. A Scottish photographer who settled in Rome in the 1840s, MacPherson in precise, large-format images that preserved the grandeur of classical ruins and medieval structures for a growing international audience of scholars, travelers, and collectors. The albumen print medium—made by coating paper with egg whites and silver salts—revolutionized 19th-century photography with its rich tonal range and fine detail, allowing MacPherson to render intricate stonework and dramatic shadows with remarkable clarity. At over 30 cm wide, this print exemplifies the era's shift toward photography as both art and documentation, bridging Romantic fascination with antiquity and emerging scientific precision. Housed in the Art Institute of Chicago's Photography and Media department, this work highlights Rome's layered history—from its 5th-century origins as a martyrium to its Renaissance restorations—offering visitors a timeless window into how early photographers like MacPherson immortalized cultural heritage amid rapid urbanization.

About the Artist

Robert MacPherson · 1811–1872

Robert Macpherson (1811–1872) was a Scottish artist who began his career in medicine before pivoting to painting and ultimately pioneering photography in Rome. Born in the Tayside region near Edinburgh, he enrolled at the University of Edinburgh in 1831 to study medicine but left without graduating after four years. He then trained at the Royal Scottish Academy, where he exhibited portraits from 1...