Gustave Le Gray
French, about 1820-1882

Le Gray’s career lasted little more than 12 years, yet he remains one of the most admired of 19th-century photographers for his artistry and innovation. Around 1855, he began photographing a series of seascapes along the Mediterranean coast facing Mt. Agde, France, just visible on the horizon. He made two negatives to create this dazzling image—one for the sky and one for the sea, each of which needed a different exposure. He then printed them together, producing a seamless image with striking light effects capturing the beauty and majesty of the dramatic sky and the serene sea.

Albumen print from two wet collodion negatives, 1856-59
Purchased with funds from the John S. and Catherine Chapin-Kobacker Family and with funds from the Libbey Endowment, Gift of Edward Drummond Libbey, 1997.283