Château de Blois
Artist
Bisson Frères
(French, 1841-1864)
Artist
Auguste-Rosalie Bisson
(French, 1826 - 1900)
Artist
Louis-Auguste Bisson
(French, 1814 - 1876)
CultureFrench
Date1854
MediumSalt print from glass negative
DimensionsOverall, Image: 18 1/4 × 14 3/8 in. (46.4 × 36.5 cm)
Overall, Support: 28 1/4 × 21 1/2 in. (71.8 × 54.6 cm)
Overall, Mat: 30 × 24 in. (76.2 × 61 cm)
Overall, Support: 28 1/4 × 21 1/2 in. (71.8 × 54.6 cm)
Overall, Mat: 30 × 24 in. (76.2 × 61 cm)
InscribedRecto, below print on paper, lower right, in black ink: Robertson & Beato phot. No 18
Recto, below print on paper, center, blind stamp: Depot General de Photographies 35 Boulevard des Capucines et Rue Neuve Saint-Augustin
Recto, lower right, pencil: 15
Verso, upper right, pencil: 4
Verso, upper left, pencil: 10772
Credit LineMuseum purchase, in memory of Alice R. and Sol B. Frank
Object number2016.35.3
On View
Not on viewLabel TextLouis-Auguste Bisson French, 1814–1876 Auguste-Rosalie Bisson French, 1826–1900 Bisson Frères French, 1841–1864 Château de Blois, 1854 Salt print (photograph) from glass negative The Bisson brothers were famed for their unusually large prints of French architectural monuments. With this photograph of the Château de Blois, the photographers not only documented the royal residence, but also asserted the State’s historical authority. The large complex was built in a series of expansions from the 13th to the 17th century, and this image focuses on a wing constructed under King Louis XII from 1498 to 1500. The king had transformed an existing medieval fortress into an urban palace with open arcades and stairway towers. As suggested by the rubble in the foreground, the building was going through another renovation when the Bisson brothers arrived. Begun in 1845, the restoration was undertaken in hopes of restoring the castle to its earlier grandeur and inspiring national pride at a time of revolutionary fervor. Museum purchase, in memory of Alice R. and Sol B. Frank 2016.35.3 ProvenanceThe work was chosen from the inventory of Serge Kakou in September 2016, when it was sent to the Museum for review. After consideration by curator Seth Feman, chief curator Lloyd DeWitt, and director Erik Neil, the photograph was held on consignment. Purchased by the museum in December 2016.Exhibition History"Photographs Take Time: Pictures from the Chrysler Collection," Chrysler Museum of Art, Norfolk, VA, April 6 - August 26, 2018.
