Count Olympio-Clémente Aguado de las Marismas (1827-1894) was descended from a noble Spanish banking family. Briefly a painter, around 1849 he took up photography, working with the daguerreotype for a short time before turning to paper negatives. Aguado was one of several early photographers to learn the rudiments of the art from Gustave Le Gray and came to be known for his technical skill with various processes. His usual subject matter ranged from figure studies to portraits and posed groups. He was also fascinated by animals and rural scenes, but throughout his landscape work, trees clearly dominate. In 1854, Aguado helped found the Sociéte française de photographie.
