Vase with Medusa's Head 1840

"Vase with Medusa's Head" (1840) is a calotype photograph by William Henry Fox Talbot, one of the pioneers of photography. The image, now in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, depicts a classical urn with a Medusa head in relief on its side. The low-contrast, faded tones of the calotype, create a sense of subtle detail and a delicate representation of the vase. Talbot's early photographic experiments showcased the potential of the medium to capture objects with a precision and clarity never before possible.