Gipsmodel voor het beeldhouwwerk "La France" door Georges Diébolt op het Palais du Louvre c. 1855 - 1857

This photograph, taken by renowned French photographer Édouard Baldus, captures a plaster model of the sculpture "La France" by Georges Diébolt. The model, created between 1855 and 1857, depicts the personification of France as a seated female figure, holding a staff topped with a laurel wreath. The image, now housed in the Rijksmuseum, provides a glimpse into the process of creating the monumental sculpture, which would eventually adorn the Palais du Louvre in Paris. This photographic study demonstrates the importance of photography in 19th-century art, serving as a tool for documentation and artistic inspiration.