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PHOTOSCULPTURE
Portrait of Jean-Baptiste François Provost. (Paris 30.I.1798 – 26.XII.1865), French actor of the Comédie-Française. ???
Author:
FRANÇOIS WILLÈME (Sedan Francia 27.V.1830- Roubaix 31.I.1905)
At the beginning of 1860 Willème applied for a patent in France on the process of elaboration of the photosculptures that he had invented; he obtained it on August 14, 1860 and revalidated it on April 6, 1861. The system was also patented in England and the United States, in 1864 and 1865 respectively.
The “photo-sculpture” interlaced two techniques from different disciplines: photography as a means of capture and the pantograph for restitution.
The conjunction of both disciplines gave rise to an improved process, which according to Willéme enabled him to “…. produce sculpture exactly similar to the model, whether living or not, much more quickly, at a lower cost, …”.
The works available for sale had the formats of statuettes, medallions, busts and card busts; the sizes started from 55cm for the largest statuette (at the price of 280 fr the first proof and reducing the amount for the following figures, with the possibility of acquiring also the molds), life-size busts (at 500 fr) and the reduction in prices could reach the small card busts (at 70 fr).
To learn more:
- Bulletin de la Société Française de Photographie, t. VII, 1861, pág. 150.
- P. Dalloz, H. de Parville, E. Lacan. T. Gautier et all, La Photoesculture, Brevets en france et à l´étranger, Paris, Société Générale de Photoesculpture de France, 1866.
- L. Azcue Brea y M. Fernández Albarés, “La Photoescupture. Su desarrollo en la España de Isabel II (1860-1868)”, en Academia (Boletín de la Real Academia de San Fernando), n.º 116 (2014), págs. 109-154.
- Y. Fernández-Barredo Sevilla y J. J. Sánchez García, “Interiores de una colección. Cuadros y recuerdos en 3D”, en J.A. Hernandez Latas (dir. y ccord.) Primeras Jornadas sobre investigación en Historia de la Fotografía. 1839-1939: Un siglo de fotografía, Zaragoza, Diputación de Zaragoza, Institución Fernando el Católico, 2017, págs. 256-274.
- 1864 PHOTOSCULPTURE THEÓPHILE GAUTIER PDF
- Patente EEUU Françoise Willème