Gipsmodellen voor beeldhouwwerken op het Palais du Louvre: links "L'Architecture" door Jean-Joseph Perraud en rechts "Amazone" door Emile Seurre c. 1855 - 1857

Edouard Baldus made this photographic print of plaster models for sculptures destined for the Palais du Louvre. Photography in the mid-19th century was a complex, labor-intensive process, far removed from the instantaneity we associate with it today. The photographic print, with its sepia tones and crisp detail, captures the texture and form of the plaster models with remarkable clarity. The process involved coating a glass plate with light-sensitive chemicals, exposing it in a large format camera, and then developing the image. Each print was individually made, demanding technical skill. Baldus’s work captures an important moment in the history of art and architecture, as the Louvre was expanded under Napoleon III. Photography here is not just a means of documentation, but a vital tool in the industrial project of construction. It allows for the dissemination of images and ideas, playing a role in the shaping of cultural memory. By understanding the materials and methods used, we gain a deeper understanding of the social and cultural context in which it was produced.