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Photograph - Don Quixote in his Study

Don Quixote in his Study

  • Object:

    Photograph

  • Date:

    1855 (photographed)

  • Artist/Maker:

    William Lake Price (photographer)

  • Materials and Techniques:

    Photograph

  • Museum number:

    3-1976

  • Gallery location:

    Photography, room 38a

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W.H. Lake Price was a painter as well as a photographer. He exhibited several photographs of literary characters, such as Robinson Crusoe and Don Quixote. These parallel reconstructions by painters. Here the model - book in hand - rolls his eyes, looking sharply up and to his left, as a way of indicating Don Quixote's eccentric demeanour. The study is also reminiscent one described by Sir Walter Scott in his novel The Antiquary (1816). The Museum's founding-director Sir Henry Cole saw and disliked such historical costume-piece photographs ('the dramatic Scenes I think failures') but bought The First of September, a still life, by the same photographer.

Physical description

Pale sepia photograph mounted on card showing a bearded model posing as Don Quixote, seated in his study among books, curios and assorted arms and armour

Date

1855 (photographed)

Artist/maker

William Lake Price (photographer)

Materials and Techniques

Photograph

Dimensions

Height: 324 mm image, Width: 283 mm Image, Height: 605 mm sheet, Width: 500 mm sheet

Bibliographic References (Citation, Note/Abstract, NAL no)

Hunt, Tristram and Victoria Whitfield, Art Treasures in Manchester: 150 years on Manchester: Manchester Art Gallery, 2007. ISBN 978 0 90167 372 5.
Exhibition catalogue

Exhibition History

Art Treasures in Manchester: 150 years on (Manchester Art Gallery 06/10/2007-27/01/2008)

Labels and date

Label for 'Making It Up: Photographic Fictions' (3 May 2013 - 12 January 2014):

William Henry Lake Price (1810–96)
Don Quixote in his Study
1855

Literary scenes were typical subjects for Victorian painters but more controversial for photographers. This museum’s founding director Sir Henry Cole disliked historical costume-piece photographs, saying, 'the dramatic Scenes I think failures', but he did purchase a work by this photographer for the Museum. Lake Price’s work also inspired Charles Dodgson (aka Lewis Carroll, whose work is also displayed in this gallery) to make similar tableau-like photographs.

Albumen print
Museum no. 3-1976

Production Note

Reason For Production: Retail
Reason For Production: Exhibition

Materials

Photograph

Techniques

Albumen process

Production Type

Unlimited edition

Collection code

PDP

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Qr_O92637
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