F. L. Kenett Photograph of Maillol Sculpture, Tate Gallery, 1953, Silver Print

his vintage silver gelatin photograph documents Torso of the Monument to Blanqui by Aristide Maillol, one of the most important sculptural works of the early twentieth century. The photograph was taken in 1953 at the Tate Gallery, which acquired the sculpture in 1928—an early institutional endorsement that positioned Maillol at the center of modern sculptural discourse.

Executed circa 1905–1906, the sculpture is cast in lead, a material Maillol favored for its muted tonality and structural density. Unlike later bronze editions, the lead version possesses a gravity and softness of surface that emphasizes mass, balance, and repose. The work exemplifies Maillol’s decisive break from Symbolism toward a restrained classical modernism, defined by simplified anatomy, architectural stability, and a profound sense of permanence. This approach proved foundational for later sculptors, including Henry Moore and Constantin Brâncuși.

The photograph is by F. L. Kenett, widely regarded during the mid-twentieth century as one of the world’s foremost photographers of sculpture. Kenett’s reputation was built on his exceptional ability to translate three-dimensional form into two-dimensional images without loss of volume, weight, or spatial presence. His photographs were regularly commissioned by major museums and publishers and are distinguished by their disciplined lighting, tonal control, and sculptural sensitivity. In this image, Kenett masterfully articulates Maillol’s monumental calm, allowing the sculpture’s mass and internal rhythm to emerge with clarity and authority.

This photograph was later reproduced in Herbert Read’s A Concise History of Modern Sculpture (Thames & Hudson, 1964) and was also used in 1963 in connection with the Tate Gallery’s landmark exhibition The Unknown Political Prisoner, further reinforcing its scholarly and documentary importance. Measuring approximately 20 x 16 inches, this is a period silver print, valued both as an autonomous photographic work and as a significant historical record of modern sculpture.