Untitled (Still life with a statuette of the Venus de Milo)
1852-53
Medium
Waxed paper negative
Dimensions
31.4 × 24.3 cm (12 3/8 × 9 5/8 in.); frame: 52.8 × 42.6 × 3.9 cm (20 13/16 × 16 13/16 × 1 9/16 in.)
Classification
photography
Department
Photography and Media
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
249723
Art Historical Context
Step into the dawn of photography with John Beasley Greene's * (Still Life with a Statuette of the Venus Milo)*, created around 1852-53. This waxed paper negative, measuring 31.4 × 24.3 cm, a intimate tabletop scene featuring a miniature replica of the famed ancient Greek sculpture, the Venus de Milo—rediscovered in 1820 and already a symbol of classical beauty by the mid-19th century. Housed in the Art Institute of Chicago's Photography and Media department, it exemplifies early experimental still lifes that bridged painting traditions with the nascent medium of photography. The waxed paper ...