The Great Exhibition, 1851: Cupid; Eve; and Girl at Prayers by MacDowell

Photograph showing the three statues displayed at the Great Exhibition. On the left is a marble sculpture of Cupid, represented resting on a rock and in the act of pulling an arrow out of his quiver. In the centre is a plaster sculpture of a naked Eve. She is standing with her right arm on her head and her left arm resting on a pillar, around which a snake is coiled. On the right is a marble sculpture of a young girl at prayer. She wears a full length gown and is depicted looking upwards while holding her hands together in front of her, close to her chest. The sculptures are by Patrick MacDowell (1799-1870).

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).