GUSTAVE LE GRAY (1820–1884) & EUGÈNE LE DIEN (1817–1865)

GUSTAVE LE GRAY (1820–1884) & EUGÈNE LE DIEN (1817–1865) Roman landscape, Italy 1853 Image Size: 23,8 x 32,4 cm Salt paper print from waxed paper negative, mounted on original cardboard 24,6 x 33,4 cm, in good condition. Photographers' blindstamp "Le Dien et Gustave Le Gray" in the lower left of the image, with hand-drawn sketches (a landscape with castle and a cat) and annotations in pencil by an unknown hand on the reverse of the cardboard. Le Dien was a student of the important pioneer of landscape photography Le Gray. The combination of both names in one stamp could indicate a joint visit to Italy, from where all known images with this stamp originate. While there is evidence of Le Dien's trip to Italy, there is as yet no evidence of a visit by Le Gray. Therefore, it has been assumed that Le Dien used his teacher's process when he traveled to Italy and had the photographs made up as prints by or with Le Gray upon his return. In the course of this, a joint publishing venture may have been planned, for which a stamp was made. In any case, prints by Le Dien and Le Gray are extraordinarily rare, especially those of southern Italy; somewhat more common are photographs of Rome. The most important holdings are in the BNF in Paris and in the Hyman Collection.