Louis de Clercq
Louis de Clercq was a photographer active during a concentrated period between 1855 and 1860. His body of work centers on the documentation of major archaeological and architectural sites, encompassing historical structures across the Middle East and Spain. Though not aligned with a specific movement, his work reflects the early tradition of travel photography focused on precise, detailed historical documentation.
His known output includes extensive photographic records of Middle Eastern fortifications and ruins. Notable works capturing Syrian sites include Kalaat el Hosn (Castle of the Knights, Syria) and two perspectives of the coastal ruins, Kaalat el Athlit, Syria, View from the Seaside and Kalatt-El-Athlit, Côté de la Terre. De Clercq also documented the historical structures of Lebanon, producing the photograph Baalbeck, and captured Spanish Islamic architecture in works such as Cour des Lions, Grenade, Alhambra (Court of the Lions, Granada, Alhambra).
Fifteen of Louis de Clercq's photographs are preserved in major international museum collections, confirming the museum-quality status of his work. These institutions include the Museum of Modern Art, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the Art Institute of Chicago. Due to the age of the original plates, many of his historical photographs are now available for study and reproduction as high-quality prints in the public domain.
