{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O1074419"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O1074419/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006AY5387/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006AY5387/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2006AY5387","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O1074419/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O1074419","accessionNumber":"62477","objectType":"Photograph","titles":[{"title":"Portico de la Gloria; Archivolt of Central Doorway (Left)","type":"generic title"},{"title":"Examples of Art Workmanship and Countries","type":"series title"},{"title":"The Cathedral of Santiago de Compostella in Spain","type":"series title"}],"summaryDescription":"In September 1865, John Charles Robinson, curator at the South Kensington Museum (which was to become the V&A), travelled to Santiago de Compostela as part of an expedition to acquire Spanish artworks for the Museum's collection.  Impressed by the Portico de la Gloria at Santiago, he determined that the Portico should be reproduced and recorded in order to be displayed at the South Kensington Museum. To this end, in 1866, Robinson sent Museum photographer Charles Thurston Thompson (1816-1868) to photograph the cathedral and Domenico Bucciani, London's leading producer of plaster casts, to produce the casts which later took pride of place in the new cast court when it completed in 1873.\n\nThompson returned with 86 views of the cathedral.  From these, under the aegis of Department of Science and Art, The Arundel Society issued a volume of 20 photographs of Santiago attributed to Thompson.  Published in the later half of 1868, Thompson never got to see the spendid volume as he died in January of that same year.  Curiously, in the table of contents, there is a note concerning three of the views:  'From their position in the portico, the Archivolt and Tympanum of the Central Doorway could not be satisfactorily photographed; Nos. 12, 13, and 14 were therefore taken from the Casts in the South Kensington Museum'.   It has now been determined that these three views, of which this photograph is one, were taken by Thompson's successor, Isabel Agnes Cowper (1826? - 1911).\n\nCowper was the sister of Thompson, and of the  Superintendent of the Museum, Richard A.  Thompson. Little is known about Cowper, but in her letter of resignation in 1891, she refers to herself as  the Museum's 'Official Photographer', having taken  up the position after the death of her brother.  This image with the fragments of the sign written in English and of the museum window, provide a context that is lacking in Thompson's views.  Such a context points to the role of the Museum in the early 19th-century.","physicalDescription":"A mounted albumen photograph in an album of twenty mounted photographs showing the detail of an intriquately carved archway featuring biblical persons.  In the background is visible a fragment of a sign in english and a portion of a frame of a window.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Isabel Agnes Cowper","id":"A11378"},"association":{"text":"photographer","id":"x43821"},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"photographic paper","id":"AAT14190"}],"techniques":[{"text":"albumen process","id":"AAT133274"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Albumen print","categories":[{"text":"Photographs","id":"THES48910"},{"text":"History of the V&A","id":"THES252692"},{"text":"Architecture","id":"THES48993"},{"text":"Plaster Cast","id":"THES270451"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"PDP","id":"THES48595"},"images":["2006AY5387"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"512M","id":"THES49774"},"free":"","case":"MX17","shelf":"X","box":"875"}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"photograph","id":"AAT46300"}],[{"text":"album","id":"AAT26690"}],[{"text":"albumen print","id":"AAT127121"}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"South Kensington Museum","id":"x32782"},"association":{"text":"photographed","id":"x30151"},"note":"This is one of three plates in this album by Cowper which were photographed from the casts installed in the South Kensington Museum.  The other 17 plates were photographed by Charles Thurston Thompson at the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostella in Spain."}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"1868","earliest":"1868-01-01","latest":"1868-12-31"},"association":{"text":"photographed","id":"x30151"},"note":"The photographs in this album photographed by Charles Thurston Thompson were produced ca. 1867, the three photographs by Cowper were made in 1868, after the death of Thompson in January 1968."}],"associatedObjects":[{"object":{"text":"3451-1932","id":"O1102563"},"association":"Version"}],"creditLine":"","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"485","unit":"mm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"album","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"405","unit":"mm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"album","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[{"content":"'SCIENCE AND ART DEPARTMENT / NATIONAL ART LIBRARY'","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"ink stamp on verso of mount"},{"content":"'12.  PORTICO DE LA GLORIA; ACHIVOLT OF CENTRAL DOORWAY. (LEFT.)'","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"printed label on mount"}],"objectHistory":"These images were previously attributed to Charles Thurston Thompson.  As per album table of contents note:  'From their position in the portico, the Archivolt and Tympanum of the Central Doorway could not be satisfactorily photographed; Nos. 12,13, and 14 were therefore taken from the Casts in the South Kensington Museum', it is clear that these images were taken at a later date.  An entry in the Photography Register from May 22, 1868 provides a clue to their origin:  '3 mounted photos.  Santiago, Cathedral.  Porta della Gloria, photographed from the cast in the S.K.M. [South Kensington Museum] by Mrs. I. A. Cowper'.  It is now clear these photographs were taken after Thompson's death by his successor as Official Photographer at the South Kensington Museum, Isabel Agnes Cowper.  \n","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Photograph by Isabel Agnes Cowper, 'Portico de la Gloria; Archivolt of Central Doorway (Left)', albumen print, 1868, plate 12 in album 'The Cathedral of Santiago de Compostella in Spain, showing especially the Sculpture of the Portico de la Gloria by Mestre Mateo:  A Series of Twenty Photographs recently taken by the Late Mr. Thurston Thompson', Science and Art Department, Arundel Society, 1868","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"Charles Thurston Thompson e o proxecto fotografico iberico La Coluna: Centro Galego de Artes da Imaxe-Xunta de Galicia, 1996","id":"AUTH325134"},"details":"p. 38","free":""},{"reference":{"text":"Accidental pilgrims: 19th-century British travellers and photographers in Santiago de Compostela United Kingdom: The British Art Journal, 03/2000 - 05/2000","id":"AUTH325140"},"details":"Vol. 1, No.2 (Spring 2000), pp.3-12","free":""},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Thompson, Charles Thurston.  <i>The Cathedral of Santiago de Compostella in Spain:  Showing especially the sculpture of the Portico de la Gloria by Mestre Matteo.  A series of twenty photographs recently taken by the late Mr. Thurston Thompson.  Under the Sanction of the Science and Art Department, for the Use of Schools of Art and Amateurs.  </i>London:  Arundel Society for Promoting the Knowledge of Art and Bell and Daldy, 1868."}],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[{"text":"South Kensington Museum","id":"x32782"}],"associatedPlaces":[{"text":"Santiago de Compostela Cathedral","id":"THES253762"}],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[{"text":"Charles Thurston Thompson","id":"N3687"}],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[{"text":"Arundel Society","id":"A7579"}],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[{"text":"cathedrals","id":"AAT7501"},{"text":"porticos","id":"AAT4145"},{"text":"arches","id":"AAT994"},{"text":"plaster casts","id":"x46061"},{"text":"carvings","id":"AAT47203"}],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["62477"],"accessionNumberNum":"62477","accessionNumberPrefix":"","accessionYear":null,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2025-04-15","recordCreationDate":"2009-06-30","availableToBook":false}}