Willème Photosculpture Portrait

a three dimensional portrait of Pope Pius X, made of bisque porcelain on blue velvet, the makers label and certificate of origin mounted on verso, 13x11cm, in perfect condition. The term photosculpture came into being in 1859 when French sculptor François Willème invented the first photographic and mechanical method of producing sculptural portraits with minimal use of handwork. The sitter was positioned in a rotunda, surrounded by an array of 24 cameras which took simultaneous photographs. These were later projected on to a translucent screen, on the back of which an assistant traced each outline and transferred it by means of a pantograph to a cutting machine. The machine cut the outlines, every fifteen degrees, into a pillar of clay rotating on a turntable. The result was trimmed and touched up by the artist. The offered relief portrait comes together with a 16-page issue of the 'Monde Illustre' dated 31st of December 1864 and featuring an article on the technique illustrated with two large woodcuts showing the photographic rotunda and the sculptor's studio. Also included a carte de visite portrait of a lady made in Willème’s studio. Since photosculptures are rarely ever offered for sale this is a good opportunity to acquire one of the most intriguing curiosities in the history of photography.