Cleveland Museum of Art

Courtyard, Alhambra

Date

1857–58

Medium

albumen print from wet collodion negative

Culture

England, 19th century

Department

Photography

Institution

Cleveland Museum of Art

A solitary male figure sits on the low step in the Court of the Lions, one of the palace’s two principal courtyards. This view emphasizes the building’s architectural elements and intricate molded plaster ornamentation. The brilliant highlights and dense shadows create a remarkable composition of abstract forms. Fallen into disuse, the Alhambra was an alluring and romantic reminder of past glories for travelers during this early era of photography. An accomplished topographical photographer, Charles Clifford lived in Madrid from 1852 until his death in 1863. He became the official photographer to Queen Isabella II in 1858, chronicling her public life and producing photographs of views all over Spain.

The authoritative record is held by Cleveland Museum of Art. LinkedCulture surfaces this object and its connections; it does not alter institutional metadata.