The Tower of Henry VIII

The Tower of Henry VIII by Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot French, 1796-1875, is a significant and nuanced example of early photographic printmaking created in 1856. This classification of Print was produced using the specialized and often experimental technique of cliché-verre on ivory photographic paper. Corot, renowned for his atmospheric landscapes, was one of several key French artists who embraced this hybrid medium, which combines the spontaneity of drawing with the reproducibility of photography.

The cliché-verre process involves scratching or etching a detailed design directly onto a sensitized glass plate coated with collodion. This plate then functions as a negative, allowing the artist to create multiple prints that retain the textural sensitivity characteristic of Corot’s hand-drawn sketches. This technical innovation allowed artists in France to explore landscape subject matter through a new lens, blurring the lines between graphic art and the emerging photographic medium.

This piece showcases the distinctive historical structure named in the title, rendered with the artist’s characteristic emphasis on atmosphere and light. Corot’s treatment of the architecture translates the picturesque qualities of the scene into the unique tonal ranges afforded by the process. Although celebrated primarily for his oil paintings, Corot’s output of cliché-verre prints solidifies his role as an influential figure in 19th-century French art history.

The resulting print is housed within the permanent collection of the Art Institute of Chicago, where it serves as a critical reference point for the study of reproductive media and early photography. As a historically important work of this period, high-resolution reproductions are frequently made available through public domain initiatives for educational study.