Sculptuur in het trappenhuis van het kasteel van Saint-Cloud, voorstellende de Poolster before 1870

Curator: What a find! This daguerreotype by Ernest Eléonor Pierre Lamy captures a sculpture called “Sculpture in the Staircase of the Castle of Saint-Cloud, Representing the Pole Star” from before 1870. Editor: Striking! It’s a study in contrasts: the starkness of the photo against the sensuous curve of the marble, that old world refinement caught by a new medium. I’m struck by how the marble nude almost vibrates within that confined frame. Curator: Indeed! Lamy seems captivated by the ways that light can articulate form; he frames the sculpture to accentuate its almost palpable physicality, its presence in the space. The figure is ascending out of something that resembles waves or drapery held by some type of child or cherubic figure at its base. Editor: It’s a blatant piece of classical realism. This Pole Star goddess, poised but seemingly nonchalant—her pose screams societal expectations around idealized female bodies. Was this meant to inspire awe, or perhaps signal a political statement, tying royalty to some divinely ordained path? Curator: Well, situated in the staircase of Saint-Cloud, I imagine the statue intended to remind visitors of some kind of nobility of spirit, something aligned with destiny or guidance. Perhaps that celestial North Star acting as both guide and silent witness. Editor: It certainly puts into sharp focus the use of the nude female form as allegory, even in decorative arts. What does it tell us that such representation was considered fitting in such a place of power, let alone for popular consumption through this photo? The gaze feels decidedly male and, dare I say, a little exploitative, regardless of artistry or intention. Curator: Interesting point. And in this rendition the sculpture seems to become an artifact of both art and technology. Captured, reproduced, presented for our observation and perhaps, critique? I do get a sense of quiet yearning about it. Editor: Yes. In that stillness, it presents many layered stories of privilege and how we perceive value, especially female value, which in turn demands attention and further interrogation of its historical implications. Thanks for pointing this photograph out. Curator: Likewise! It definitely leaves a mark, in both aesthetic wonder and uncomfortable social cues. A star still shining brightly from the past.