Gipsmodel voor een sluitsteen van het Palais du Louvre door Jules Lafrance c. 1855 - 1857

Edouard Baldus captured this photographic image of a plaster model for a keystone by Jules Lafrance. The keystone, a wedge-shaped element at the crown of an arch, is here adorned with symbolic motifs reflecting power and authority. Note the central figure reminiscent of classical deities, flanked by what appear to be allegorical figures, each laden with symbolic objects. These evoke notions of justice, prosperity, and military strength – virtues associated with the state. Such imagery extends back to antiquity, to the Roman Empire, where similar motifs were deployed to legitimize imperial rule. In the Renaissance, we see a rebirth of these classical themes in the construction of state power, subtly manipulating the collective memory. This process is not linear but cyclical: these symbols are continually resurfacing, evolving, and taking on new meanings in different historical contexts. The emotional and psychological power embedded in these images engages viewers on a subconscious level, reinforcing the ideological underpinnings of state authority.