Sculptuur van Marcus Aurelius in de Capitolijnse Musea te Rome c. 1857 - 1875

This photograph of the statue of Marcus Aurelius in the Capitoline Museums in Rome was created by James Anderson. The albumen print, a process refined in the 1850s, captures the texture and detail of the sculpture. The process of albumen printing involved coating paper with egg white and silver nitrate, creating a surface sensitive to light. When a negative was placed on this prepared paper and exposed to sunlight, the image gradually appeared. The resulting print has a characteristic glossy surface and a warm tone, allowing for a high level of detail. Anderson’s choice of this method reflects the era's fascination with photography as a tool for documentation and dissemination of art. It also speaks to the labor involved in photographic production, from preparing the paper to carefully controlling the printing process. By focusing on the materiality and methods of production, we can understand how photography, like craft, serves as a conduit for social, cultural, and artistic exchange.