22 cameeën before 1873

Joseph Cundall made this print of twenty-two cameos; its date is currently unknown. These images offer us a window into Victorian society's fascination with classical antiquity and the rise of photography as a tool for documentation and dissemination. The print, likely made in England, reflects the 19th-century trend of collecting and studying cameos. The cameos themselves, miniature reliefs often carved from precious stones, were highly valued as symbols of status and taste. The use of photography to reproduce these objects democratized access to them. It allowed collectors and scholars to study them without needing direct access to the originals. The cameos depict classical figures and scenes, revealing the cultural elite's interest in the art of ancient Greece and Rome. Such visual codes reinforced classical learning as a status symbol, reflecting conservative ideas about education and taste. To fully understand the print, we might consult auction records and museum catalogues to learn about the circulation and valuation of cameos in Victorian England. In the end, the history of art resides in its social life.