The Pope's Palace, Avignon c. 1851

Charles Nègre's 1851 calotype, "The Pope's Palace, Avignon," captures the architectural grandeur of the Palace of the Popes, a 14th-century masterpiece located in Avignon, France. The image, now housed at the Art Institute of Chicago, showcases the palace's imposing scale and intricate details, emphasizing the building's historical significance and the photographer's technical skill in capturing its architectural complexity. Nègre, a pioneer of photography, skillfully used the calotype process to create a detailed and evocative image, showcasing the architectural wonder of this historical monument.