The William Henry Fox Talbot Catalogue Raisonné

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Object within Schaaf no. 2350

Bust of Patroclus, taken with a Camera Obscura

Object details

Created: 27 Feb 1840

Image size: h 15.8cm x w 8.5cm

Paper size: h 16.7cm x w 9.2cm

Object Type: Salted Paper Print

Physical description: experimental copy print; one top corner of negative clipped

Inscription: in pencil, verso, C or 3d copy from 27 Feb/40 [27 February 1840]

Owner: Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of American History

Object owner number: 1995.0206.097

Collection: Photographic History Collection

Supporting images

This object is part of Schaaf no. 2350

Bust of Patroclus, taken with a Camera Obscura

Keywords: Sculpture

This bust is one of the objects most photographed by Talbot and is a plaster copy of a marble bust which was excavated by the Scottish artist and archaeologist, Gavin Hamilton (1730-1798). The original marble, found at Hadrian’s villa in Tivoli in 1769, was later acquired by the British Museum in 1805, where at the time of writing it is on display (museum number 1805,0703.86 / Gallery 22).

Although the subject of the bust is not known for certain, many attempts or guesses have been made since its discovery, none of which have been proven for certain. Hence the generic descriptive title, “Head of a Homeric Hero: marble bearded head of a companion of Ulysses, probably from a group showing Ulysses and companions blinding Polyphemus”.

It is thought that the marble version of the bust dates from about 100-150 BC, and is itself thought to be a Roman copy of a Hellenistic original dating from of about 200 BC. Talbot’s plaster version is therefore part of a long line of copies. Alternatively, it could be seen as having an impressive pedigree.