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Room Four

Victorian Lady Chrystoleum

Victorian Lady Chrystoleum

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A charming late 19th Century Crystoleum portrait of a young lady in contemporary dress of the period.

The concave glass adds a special dimension and reflects the light beautifully. The original gilt frame shows some wear commensurate  with age but by no way diminishes the overall feel of the piece.

Dimensions: Frame 42cm x 38 cm.  Image 29cm x 25cm


 The process of Crystoleum:
Crystoleum, from “crystal” + “oleum” (oil), was a photographic format which appeared in the 1880s and 1890s and enjoyed a period of popularity which lasted until the Great War.

The process of crystoleum was a method of applying colour to an albumen print which was then pasted face down to the inside of a concave piece of glass. Once the adhesive (usually starch paste or gelatine) was dry, the paper backing of the print was rubbed away, leaving only the transparent emulsion on the glass. The image was then coloured by hand, using oil paints. Another piece of glass was added to the back and this could also be coloured by hand. Both pieces of glass were bound together creating a detailed, albeit fragile, image. The process was derived from the 18th century mezzotint process.
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