La Giralda Cathedral, Seville, Spain, 1848

Francisco de Leygonier y Haubert (1812–1882) was instrumental in popularizing daguerreotypy in Spain. As one of the country’s pioneers of photography, de Leygonier documented Spanish landscapes, cities, and people. His resulting work provided some of the earliest photographic records of Spain, capturing cultural sites and everyday Spanish life with remarkable detail.

Among the landmarks photographed by de Leygonier was the Catedral de Santa María de la Sede, also known as the Seville Cathedral. The present lot focuses on ‘The Giralda’, which is the bell tower of the Cathedral. Serving as both a Moorish mosque and Catholic church throughout its history, the cathedral incorporates elements of Renaissance, Mudejar, and Baroque styles, reflecting the blending of cultural influences in Andalusia. By meticulously capturing his subjects, de Leygonier helped preserve a visual record of Spain’s cultural landmarks before the modernization and industrialization of the late 19th century. Existing daguerreotypes by the artist are rare.