Stanford University

The 10 Best Museum and Gallery Shows to See This Fall

A. Van Geleyn, Photosculpture. Sculpture d’après nature obetenue mécaniquement. Dix secondes de pose, 1865. Lithograph, 41¾ × 29½ in. (106 × 75 cm). Bibliothèque Nationale de France, Département Estampes et Photographie. Photo: gallica.bnf.fr / Bibliothèque nationale de France

A. Van Geleyn, Photosculpture. Sculpture d’après nature obetenue mécaniquement. Dix secondes de pose, 1865. Lithograph, 41¾ × 29½ in. (106 × 75 cm). Bibliothèque Nationale de France, Département Estampes et Photographie. Photo: gallica.bnf.fr / Bibliothèque nationale de France

August 24, 2026
"In 1859, long before we had 3D scanning and printing, a 29-year-old French artist and inventor came up with a means to translate photographs into solid objects. These photosculptures were an attempt to make portraiture more affordable for a growing middle class. Ultimately, the technology didn’t take off — it’s hard to be ahead of one’s time. But that means we’ll have even more to learn from the first major exhibition of this strange, hybrid approach to capturing likenesses."
KQED