Photograph by Ed Pollard, Hasselblad H4D50 - 2018.

The Pantheon, from the Piazza della Rotonda

Artist Robert Macpherson (Scottish, 1811 - 1872)

CultureScottish

Date1858

MediumAlbumen print from wet collodion negative

DimensionsOverall, Image: 11 1/4 × 14 1/2 in. (28.6 × 36.8 cm)
Overall, Support (Paper): 18 1/4 × 24 1/2 in. (46.4 × 62.2 cm)
Overall, Mat: 24 × 28 in. (61 × 71.1 cm)

Credit LineMuseum purchase, in memory of Alice R. and Sol B. Frank

Object number2018.3

Not on view

DescriptionThis albumen print depicts the Pantheon in Rome, showing the historical architecture while modern Rome bustles about.
Label TextRobert Macpherson Scottish, 1811–1872 The Pantheon, from the Piazza della Rotonda, 1858 Albumen print (photograph) from wet collodion negative Known for wearing a kilt while he worked, the Scottish-born photographer Robert Macpherson could be found at historic sites throughout Rome. His views of Roman architecture won him acclaim as the city’s foremost documentarian, but the former painter insisted on the expressive possibilities of the medium and labeled himself an “Artist photographer.” By making especially long exposures, he carefully captured architectural details and translated their three-dimensional qualities to the 2D medium. While he focused on historical architecture, modern Rome bustled about. Notice the cloudy areas along the roadways—these are the “ghosts” of people moving too quickly to make a solid impression during Macpherson’s long exposure. Museum purchase 2018.3 Exhibition History"Photographs Take Time: Pictures from the Chrysler Collection," Chrysler Museum of Art, Norfolk, VA, April 6 - August 26, 2018. "Thomas Jefferson, Architect: Palladian Models, Democratic Principles, and the Conflict of Ideals," Chrysler Museum of Art, Norfolk, VA, October 19, 2019 - January 19, 2020.