The Great Exhibition, 1851: Bather by Lawlor

Photograph of a nude woman in marble, sitting on a pillar covered by drapery. She is seated with her left leg tucked behind her right leg. She folds her arms in front of her body and rests them on her thighs. Her head is turned halfway to the left and she looks downwards. The sculpture by John Lawlor (1820-1901) was exhibited at the Great Exhibition. The sculpture is now held by the Royal Collection, RCIN 75050.

This photograph is from Volume IV (RCIN 2800003) of ' Exhibition of the Works of Industry of All Nations, 1851: Reports by the Juries on the Subjects in the Thirty Classes into which the Exhibition was Divided'. The incredibly successful Exhibition of the Works of Industry of All Nations, commonly known as the Great Exhibition, ran from May to October 1851. At the exhibition's conclusion, over 100 copies of the four volume 'Reports by the Juries' were distributed to foreign governments and notable participants. The reports consist of the juries' comments and assessments of the works displayed in the exhibition. The idea and decision to illustrate the reports with photographs is attributed to Prince Albert (1819-61).