Information request: Adolphe Braun/Braun et Cie photographs of the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel

[Francesca Issatt]

Does anybody know of any institutions who have Adolphe Braun photographs of the vault of the Sistine Chapel? Here in the History of Art Department at the University of Oxford we have a full set of 125 carbon prints that measure aprox 49x63cm. I have tried to find other institutions who may have a full series or part of it in any size but particularly in this larger scale. I see that the Getty have a set of 7 or 8.

http://ox.libguides.com/visualresourcescentre/braun

Any help would be much appreciated.

Francesca

Visual Resources Assistant

[Michael Hocken]

How exciting! 

[Costanza Caraffa]

Dear Francesca,

you should have a look at the catalogue of the big Adolphe Braun exhibition that took place in 2017 in Munich. I remember that they showed also some photographs from the Sistina series.

Adolphe Braun : ein europäisches Photographie-Unternehmen und die Bildkünste im 19. Jahrhundert

https://aleph.mpg.de/F/PKMDPY57L2Y2DBNL58EARN7BX7M21XRXLDB63TDRH8YJ...

best wishes,

Costanza Caraffa

[Tamara Tolnai]

According to the Vatican Museums' regulations, photographers and other artists (e.g. engravers) were obligated to hand in a copy of their work to the Vatican institutions. Since the Fototeca Vaticana as the Vatican Museums' photographic library is basically of later origin, the original photographs presented to the pope by Braun are to be found in the photographic collection of the Biblioteca Vaticana and the Accademia di San Luca.

Best wishes

Tamara Tolnai

[Francesca Issatt]

Thank you both.

Ruth - thanks for pointing me to the Braun catalogue.

Anthony - Yes I have read Art and the Early Photographic Album but it was a few years ago now so thanks for reminding me about Philippe Jarjat's chapter.

[Anthony Hamber]

The South Kensington Museum (V&A) purchased a set on the 11th May 1870 for £50. nos 69.090-60.214 in Portfolio 339.

The Royal Academy of Arts, London may also have a copy.

You may already have read Philippe Jarjat "Michelangelo's Frescoes through the Camera's Lens: The Photographic Album and Visual Identity" in Art and the Early Photographic Album, Yale University Press, 2011.

Regards

Anthony Hamber

[Ruth von dem Bussche]

Hello,

The "old" art history institutions in Florence and Rome could have something:

- British School at Rome

- Bibliotheca Hertziana, Rome

- Kunsthistorisches Institut, Florence

The latter has at least a printed catalogue of Braun online:

http://aleph.mpg.de/F?func=direct&doc_number=001995164&loca...

Best ask at the KHI or BH photo collections directly since there might be something missing in the libraries catalogues.

Best

Ruth Bussche