Doorway to Sèvres Factory

Originally trained by his father as a painter on glass and porcelain, Louis-Rémy Robert was taught photography by Henri-Victor Regnault, a close associate and director of the Sèvres porcelain factory. Particularly known for landscape and architectural views, Robert depicted here the gateway to the Sèvres factory, where he was head of the painting and gilding studio from 1848–1871. He then became director of the factory for eight years. In this scene, the artist not only provided a sense of place, but also transformed a complex composition into a unified, compelling assemblage of shapes, textures, and tonalities. The print is shown with its original waxed paper negative—an unusual occurrence since early negatives have rarely survived the passage of time.