Description
An uncommon Civil War-era carte-de-visite featuring a photographic reproduction of Auguste Toulmouche’s 1858 painting A Bedtime Prayer, also known by its French title, La Prière. The tender domestic scene depicts a mother and young child with hands clasped in prayer beside a draped cradle.
Produced during the early popularity of the CDV format, this photograph represents the Victorian practice of collecting celebrated works of art in miniature photographic form. These cards were often placed in family albums alongside portraits of relatives, royalty, prominent figures, and other culturally significant subjects.
Notable features include:
* Period photographic image mounted on a thin carte-de-visite card
* Based on a documented 1858 work by noted French painter Auguste Toulmouche
* Desirable mother-and-child, religious, and Victorian domestic subject
* Likely dates to the 1860s, based on the thin mount and square-corner format
* Blank reverse without a photographer or publisher imprint
* Appealing crossover collectible for early photography, French art, religious imagery, and Victorian ephemera collections
The card displays age-related toning, fading, scattered foxing and surface marks, with expected edge and corner wear. The complete composition remains clearly visible and readily identifiable.
Please view all the photos for a complete understanding of its condition and presentation.
