Image of Gallery in South Kensington
Request to view at the Prints & Drawings Study Room, level F , Case X, Shelf 1041

Paracelsus

Photograph
1959 (photographed)
Artist/Maker
Sommer, Frederick (photographer)
Place of origin
Arizona (photographed)

In 1957 Frederick Sommer began to make photographs using ‘synthetic’ or camera-less negatives by applying smoke or paint to cellophane and glass. For the Paracelsus negative, he manipulated oil paint between two pieces of cellophane and pulled them apart to reveal a textured shape. The result bears an uncanny resemblance to a human torso and led Sommer to name the photograph after Paracelsus, the 16th-century Swiss doctor, alchemist and philosopher. Sommer identified with Paraclesus’ holistic belief in the inseparability of human and universal life and the need to treat both body and spirit.


Object details

Categories
Photographs
Uncanny
Object type
Photograph
TitleParacelsus (assigned by artist)
Materials and techniques
Gelatin-silver print from paint on cellophane negative
Brief description
Photograph by Frederick Sommer, 'Paracelsus', 1959, gelatin silver print
Physical description
Photograph of an abstract form resembling a human torso.
Dimensions
  • Sheet length: 32.7cm
  • Sheet width: 26cm
Gallery label
  • Cameraless Photography Frederick Sommer (1905–99) Paracelsus 1959 Gelatin-silver print 33.8 x 25.6 cm Museum no.E.995-1993 In 1957 Sommer began to make photographs using ‘synthetic’ or cameraless negatives. He created these by applying smoke or paint to cellophane and glass. For the Paracelsus ‘negative’, he manipulated oil paint between two pieces of cellophane and pulled them apart to reveal a textured shape. The result bears an uncanny resemblance to a human torso and led Sommer to name the photograph after Paracelsus, the sixteenth-century Swiss doctor, alchemist and philosopher.
  • Gallery 100, 2016-17: Frederick Sommer (1905–99) ‘Paracelsus’ 1957 Sommer printed this photograph from a camera-less negative. The negative was created by manipulating oil paint between two pieces of cellophane and pulling them apart to reveal a shape resembling a torso. The resulting image evokes a headless classical sculpture but has a light and transparent quality. Gelatin silver print from paint on cellophane negative Museum no. E.995-1993
  • Seeing and knowing Paracelsus 1959 Gelatin-silver print Museum no. E.995-1993 In 1957 Sommer began to make photographs using 'synthetic' or camera-less negatives by applying smoke or paint to cellophane and glass. For the Paracelsus negative, he manipulated oil paint between two pieces of cellophane and pulled them apart to reveal a textured shape. The result bears an uncanny resemblance to a human torso and led Sommer to name the photograph after Paracelsus, the 16th-century Swiss doctor, alchemist and philosopher. Sommer identified with his holistic belief in the inseparability of the human and universal life and the need to treat both body and spirit.(20/01/2005)
Summary
In 1957 Frederick Sommer began to make photographs using ‘synthetic’ or camera-less negatives by applying smoke or paint to cellophane and glass. For the Paracelsus negative, he manipulated oil paint between two pieces of cellophane and pulled them apart to reveal a textured shape. The result bears an uncanny resemblance to a human torso and led Sommer to name the photograph after Paracelsus, the 16th-century Swiss doctor, alchemist and philosopher. Sommer identified with Paraclesus’ holistic belief in the inseparability of human and universal life and the need to treat both body and spirit.
Collection
Prints, Drawings & Paintings Collection
Accession number
E.995-1993

About this object record

Explore the Collections contains over a million catalogue records, and over half a million images. It is a working database that includes information compiled over the life of the museum. Some of our records may contain offensive and discriminatory language, or reflect outdated ideas, practice and analysis. We are committed to addressing these issues, and to review and update our records accordingly.

You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.

Suggest feedback

Record createdNovember 24, 2004
Record URL
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O107470/paracelsus-photograph-sommer-frederick/
Download as: JSON