Sophocles statue in Rome (Lateran), photograph from a Rome album

What it is

This is a black-and-white photograph from a photo album of sights and artworks in Rome, now held by the Rijksmuseum in the Netherlands. It shows a marble statue of the ancient Greek playwright Sophocles, standing on a pedestal. The statue wears a draped cloak, and a small urn is at his feet. The print is labeled SOPHOCLES LATERAN. The record gives no date for the photograph.

Why it matters

Sophocles lived from 496 to 406 BCE, and his statue in this photograph is a much later copy. Such statues were often collected and displayed in Rome, and photo albums like this one recorded them for travelers and collectors. The album shows how the image of a classical author was passed on through copies and photographs.

Look closer

• What details of the pose, cloak, beard and urn can you see, and what does the urn suggest?
• Why would someone keep a photograph of a copy of a statue in an album of Rome?
• What does this photograph leave out, such as the statue's material colour and its exact date?