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John Brampton Philpot and Photography in 19th-Century Florence

The photographer John Brampton Philpot was born in 1812 in Maidstone, England. As an adult he became a copperplate printer, but in 1850 he moved to Florence, Italy, and undertook professional studio photography. He remained there until his death in 1878. Often referred to by his Italianized name, Giovanni Brampton Philpot, he marked his work with an assortment of dry seals to indicate the locations of his studio. The majority of Philpot photographs in the department of image collections are marked with his seal, J. B. Philpot. Firenze. Borgo Ognissanti No. 17. Two albums in the collection, however, are attributed to the studio of Philpot & Jackson No. 17 Borgo Ognissanti, referring to an unknown associate. Philpot’s turn to photography was certainly influenced by the swift development of photography in the middle of the 19th century and the ample opportunities this presented to an eager market. Italian cities saw a frenzied competition to establish themselves as centers of photography. Florence was home to a host of studios and independent photographers of local and international origins, leading to a diversity of perspectives and subjects.

John Brampton Philpot and Photography in 19th-Century Florence

Photograph: J. B. Philpot, c. 1865–1873. Michelangelo, David, marble sculpture, 1504, Galleria dell’Accademia, Florence. Featuring the David still clothed with the loin covering added by 16th-century city officials, this photograph was taken before the sculpture was moved from its location outside the Palazzo Vecchio to the Galleria dell’Accademia for protection in 1873.
John Brampton Philpot and Photography in 19th-Century Florence

J. B. Philpot, View through Piazzale Uffizi, Florence, Facing North, 1855–1860. Michelangelo’s David can be seen in the Piazza della Signora under an awning, a protective measure undertaken before the sculpture was ultimately moved to its current location inside Galleria dell’Accademia.
John Brampton Philpot and Photography in 19th-Century Florence

Alphonse Bernoud, Palazzo Vecchio, Florence, c. 1850–1872. In this bird’s-eye view of the Piazza Signora, Alphonse Bernoud (1820–1875), a contemporary of Philpot, showcases the grandeur of the Palazzo Vecchio and frames the figure of Michelangelo’s David in the main entrance to the building.  
John Brampton Philpot and Photography in 19th-Century Florence

Giacomo Brogi, Piazza della Signora, Florence, c. 1873–1881. Brogi (1822–1881), who took up a studio in Florence in 1863, also captured the Piazza della Signora; however, David is not visible here, having already been moved from its placementin front of the Palazzo. 
John Brampton Philpot and Photography in 19th-Century Florence

Photograph: J. B. Philpot, c. 1850–1860. Benvenuto Cellini, Perseus with the Head of Medusa, bronze sculpture, 1554, Florence. This bronze sculpture depicting the mythological story of Perseus beheading Medusa stands in the Loggia della Signora on the Piazza della Signora.
John Brampton Philpot and Photography in 19th-Century Florence

Photograph: J. B. Philpot, c. 1860–1878. Michelangelo, Madonna with Child, marble, 1521–1531, Sagrestia Nuova, San Lorenzo, Florence. Often referred to as the Medici Madonna, this sculpture is an unfinished work intended for the never-completed Medici tomb at San Lorenzo. 
John Brampton Philpot and Photography in 19th-Century Florence

Alphonse Bernoud, Santa Maria del Fiore, Florence, c. 1850–1872. Bernoud captures Florence’s skyline with the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore as the centerpiece.
John Brampton Philpot and Photography in 19th-Century Florence

Giacomo Brogi, Baptistery of Santa Maria del Fiore, Florence, c. 1866–1867. In this photograph the baptistery of the Florence Cathedral, which sits in the piazza front of the church, Brogi foregrounds the significantly smaller, octagonal structure.
John Brampton Philpot and Photography in 19th-Century Florence

Photograph: J. B. Philpot, c. 1850–1860. Luca della Robbia, Cantoria, Santa Maria del Fiore, marble sculpture relief, 1437–1439, Museo dell’Opera del Duomo, Florence. The sculpture relief of a group of young singers aptly reflects their original installation along the galleries for singers and musicians in the sanctuary of Santa Maria del Fiore.
John Brampton Philpot and Photography in 19th-Century Florence

Alphonse Bernoud, Santa Croce, Florence, c. 1850–1872. The Franciscan church of Santa Croce sits before a nearly empty piazza.
John Brampton Philpot and Photography in 19th-Century Florence

Alphonse Bernoud, Santissima Annunziata, Florence, c. 1850–1872. The camera captures a quiet moment in front of the basilica church.
John Brampton Philpot and Photography in 19th-Century Florence

Photograph: J. B. Philpot, c. 1860–1870. Andrea di Cione, The Dormition of the Virgin, marble sculpture relief, 1359, Orsanmichele, Florence. A detail of the sculptural decoration for the tabernacle of the church of Orsanmichele.
John Brampton Philpot and Photography in 19th-Century Florence

Photograph: J. B. Philpot, c. 1860–1870. Michelangelo, Portrait of Andrea Quaratesi, drawing, 1530. Philpot’s photographs of prints and drawings of the Uffizi represent a range of artists and works, demonstrating the breath of the collection as it existed in the 19th century.
John Brampton Philpot and Photography in 19th-Century Florence

Photograph: J. B. Philpot, c. 1860–1870. Michelangelo, Profile Study, drawing, 16th c.
John Brampton Philpot and Photography in 19th-Century Florence

Photograph: J. B. Philpot, c. 1860–1870. Michelangelo, Head of a Damned for Last Judgment, drawing, 16th c.
John Brampton Philpot and Photography in 19th-Century Florence

Photograph: J. B. Philpot, c. 1860–1870. Leonardo da Vinci, Female Portrait, drawing, 15th c.
John Brampton Philpot and Photography in 19th-Century Florence

Alinari, Uffizi Galleries, c. before 1890. While Philpot was documenting the contents of the Uffizi’s collection of prints and drawings, Fratelli Alinari—a photography firm founded in Florence in 1852—captured the artworks as they were hung in the galleries.
John Brampton Philpot and Photography in 19th-Century Florence

Alinari, Uffizi Galleries, c. before 1890. This photograph depicts a variety of religious paintings as well as portraits installed in the Uffizi galleries, complimented by ornate frames and decorative furniture.
John Brampton Philpot and Photography in 19th-Century Florence

Photograph: J. B. Philpot, c. 1860–1870. Raphael, Study for Saint George and the Dragon, drawing, c. 1506. This drawing is a preliminary sketch for Saint George and the Dragon, 1506, a painting in the permanent collection of the National Gallery of Art.
John Brampton Philpot and Photography in 19th-Century Florence

Photograph: J. B. Philpot, c. 1860–1870. Raphael, Woman with a Jug, drawing, c. early 16th c.
John Brampton Philpot and Photography in 19th-Century Florence

Photograph: J. B. Philpot, c. 1860–1870. Titian, Landscape with Town, drawing, 16th c.
John Brampton Philpot and Photography in 19th-Century Florence

Photograph: J. B. Philpot, c. 1860–1870. Giorgio Vasari, Portrait Studies, drawing, 16th c.
John Brampton Philpot and Photography in 19th-Century Florence

Photograph: J. B. Philpot, c. 1860–1870. Michelangelo, Study for Moses, drawing, c. 1513. A preliminary sketch for Michelangelo’s monument sculpture for the tomb of Pope Julius II in Rome.
John Brampton Philpot and Photography in 19th-Century Florence

Photograph: J. B. Philpot, c. 1860–1870. Francesco Albani, Putti, drawing, 17th c.
John Brampton Philpot and Photography in 19th-Century Florence

Photograph: J. B. Philpot, c. 1860–1870. Giorgione, Parade Group, drawing, late 15th–early 16th c.
John Brampton Philpot and Photography in 19th-Century Florence

Photograph: J. B. Philpot, c. 1860–1870.  Andrea Mantegna, Judith with the Head of Holofernes, pen, brown ink, over chalk, on white, now yellowed paper, 1491.
John Brampton Philpot and Photography in 19th-Century Florence

Photograph: J. B. Philpot, c. 1860–1870. Salvatore Rosa, Man in Turban, drawing, 17th c.
John Brampton Philpot and Photography in 19th-Century Florence

Photograph: J. B. Philpot, c. 1860–1870. Jacopo Pontormo, Study for Visitation, drawing, c. 1528. A preparatory sketch for the artist’s oil painting of Mary’s visit to her cousin, Elizabeth, installed in the Church of San Michele e San Francesco in Carmignano, outside Florence.
John Brampton Philpot and Photography in 19th-Century Florence

Photograph: J. B. Philpot, c. 1860–1870. Domenico Ghirlandaio, Papal Profiles, drawing, 15th c.
John Brampton Philpot and Photography in 19th-Century Florence

Photograph: J. B. Philpot, c. 1860–1870. Domenichino, Biblical Figure, drawing, 17th c.

Click on a slide above to view a larger image and detailed description (30 images total)

Philpot arrived in Florence with a daguerreotype device; soon after his arrival, however, he became one of the first in the city to produce calotypes. He was further distinguished for his stereoscopic images and was able to capitalize on the tourist market in Florence, particularly with English speakers. These photographs captured the city of Florence and aided in preserving a historical image of the urban landscape at a time when the city was undergoing extensive renovations and developments. For example, in a signed photograph looking northward through the Piazzale degli Uffizi onto the Palazzo Vecchio, Michelangelo’s David can be seen in the Piazza della Signora under an awning. The sculpture stood in this location for more than 300 years, until it was moved to the Galleria dell’Accademia for protection in 1873.

Not only did Philpot capture fleeting views of Florence, he also participated in the preservation and dissemination of art collections, at a moment when accessibility of collections through images was just beginning to be explored and valued. Beyond picturesque views of Florence, Philpot utilized his skills to photograph art collections, devoting significant attention to the holdings of the Galleria degli Uffizi, from sculptures to old master drawings and prints—the latter two which were compiled into albums, including Photographs from Original Drawings by the Old Masters, two editions of which are held by the National Gallery of Art department of image collections. These editions focus primarily on Philpot’s photographs of works on paper, both single photographs and those bound in albums; however, there are also some examples of sculpture and architecture, all of which provide a view onto 19th-century Florence—both in the arts and in its urban fabric.

Bibliography of Works by John Brampton Philpot

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