Doorgang in het Pavillon de Rohan c. 1857

Edouard Baldus captured "Doorgang in het Pavillon de Rohan" using photography, a relatively new medium in the 19th century. The photograph, with its warm sepia tones, was achieved through a process involving light-sensitive chemicals on paper. What makes this image so interesting is how it intersects the handmade and the industrial. On the one hand, photography was becoming increasingly mechanized, reliant on factory-produced materials like lenses and photographic paper. On the other, each print required careful manipulation in the darkroom. Baldus would have been acutely aware of light, exposure times, and the delicate balance of chemicals to create this image. Photography democratized image-making, taking it from the hands of skilled painters to a broader audience. Yet, it also created new forms of labor and expertise. It's a testament to the changing landscape of art and work in the industrial era.