Gipsmodellen voor beeldhouwwerken op het Palais du Louvre c. 1855 - 1857

Editor: Here we have Édouard Baldus's photograph, "Plaster Models for Sculptures at the Palais du Louvre," dating from around 1855 to 1857. The pale plaster relief seems so fragile in contrast to the grand Louvre itself. What is it that speaks to you most when you look at it? Curator: The arrangement of classical motifs tells a powerful story, and the photograph, in turn, captures the cultural memory these symbols evoke. Do you notice the cornucopia overflowing with fruit? And the royal crown beside the reclining figure? Editor: I do! The crown, especially, signals wealth and power. The figure looks almost like an allegory of abundance and prosperity. Curator: Precisely. Baldus captured these plaster models intended for the Louvre. These aren’t mere decorations; they visually assert the ideals of the French state. Look at how these figures relate to one another and think about what they represent symbolically. The putti or cherubs flank the central figure. Why do you think this image was chosen to adorn the Louvre? Editor: The Palais du Louvre, a seat of power now adorned with this vision of national pride... So, it's about cementing an image of France’s greatness, visually and psychologically. And Baldus captured that ambition itself, not just the objects. Curator: Yes! By choosing photography, a relatively new medium, to record these neoclassical plaster casts, Baldus highlights the continuous resonance of the past in shaping national identity in modern times. What do you make of his compositional choice to focus solely on the relief and use empty space otherwise? Editor: Now I am beginning to grasp Baldus’s strategic method, to consider how it is meant to resonate culturally across the ages. I thought I was seeing a pale photo of fragile models, but I was actually looking at nation-building!