Untitled (Trajan's Column, Base)
c. 1857
Medium
Albumen print, from "Photographs of Views of Rome" (c. 1857)
Dimensions
Image/paper: 37.6 × 26.5 cm (14 13/16 × 10 7/16 in.); Mount: 43.8 × 35.5 cm (17 1/4 × 14 in.)
Classification
photograph
Department
Photography and Media
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
217206
Art Historical Context
In the mid-19th century, photographer Robert MacPherson captured timeless grandeur of ancient Rome through his meticulous albumen prints, including this *Untitled (Trajan's, Base)* from his seminal series *Photographs of of Rome* (c. 1857). This 37.6 × 26.5 cm image focuses on the intricate sculptural base of Trajan's Column, a 2nd-century Roman monument erected in 113 AD to celebrate Emperor Trajan's victories over the Dacians. MacPherson's lens reveals the column's detailed low-relief carvings of armored soldiers, captives, and trophies, preserving architectural details that fascinated 19th-...
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...