The columns of the Parthenon on the Acropolis in Athens

Constantin opened his studio in 1858 and began photographing archaeological finds in Greece. This shot, once owned by the art historian Carel Vosmaer, was taken from an unusual vantage point: the columns are seen from below, and the broken fragments make the impression of tumbling forward. Compositions like this earned the Greek great praise at the 1862 London International Exhibition and the 1867 Exposition Universelle in Paris.