Upper Lake, Penllengare; Rhododendrons; Brome, Morphine Tuff

Art Historical Context

This intriguing composite work from 1853–56 brings together three intimate photographs of Penllergare, the Welsh estate of John Dillwyn Llewelyn. Created using early albumen silver and salted paper processes, the prints capture the Upper Lake, lush rhododendron plantings, and garden details with remarkable softness and tonal depth. Llewelyn, a pioneering Welsh photographer and botanist, often collaborated with contemporaries like James Knight to document his celebrated gardens, where he cultivated exotic species and experimented with photographic chemistry. These images reflect the mid-nineteenth-century fascination with both horticulture and the new art of photography. Salted paper prints, among the earliest positive processes, lend a warm, matte quality that perfectly suits the tranquil scenes of bridges, boats, and leisurely figures with dogs. Together, the three views evoke the Victorian ideal of the garden as a private paradise blending science, art, and nature. Acquired by the Metropolitan Museum through the Gilman Collection, the work offers a rare glimpse into photography’s first decades, when practitioners like Llewelyn transformed personal landscapes into enduring visual poetry.

About the Artist

James Knight|John Dillwyn Llewelyn

James Knight was a British artist active during the mid-nineteenth century, best known for his work as a photographer producing salted paper prints. His identity remains somewhat elusive in historical records, though he is documented as working in Britain during the 1850s and 1860s. No details of his early life, formal training, or artistic mentors have been identified in available sources. Knigh...