Gipsmodellen voor beeldhouwwerken op het Palais du Louvre: links "Condorcet" door Pierre Loison en rechts "Papin" door Jean-François Soitoux c. 1855 - 1857

This is a photograph by Edouard Baldus, presenting plaster models of sculptures destined for the Palais du Louvre. Plaster, a humble material, is at the heart of a complex process. These aren't finished artworks, but rather intermediary steps. We see the hand of the sculptor in the rough surfaces and the subtle nuances of form, but also the hand of the laborer who mixed and applied the plaster. This material allows for reproduction on a mass scale. These models precede the final sculptures, which were carved in stone, a far more laborious and costly material, and demonstrate the transformation from the artist's initial vision to the monumental presence intended for the Louvre. Baldus' photograph captures a moment in this transition, highlighting the social and cultural significance embedded in the making. It also emphasizes the collaborative nature of artistic production at the time, and the hierarchies of labor involved in realizing grand artistic visions.