Gevel van het Pavillon de Rohan (bovenzijde) c. 1857

This albumen print of the Pavillon de Rohan was made by Édouard Baldus sometime in the mid-19th century. The photographic process itself is central to understanding this work. Think about what it took to make this image. Baldus was working well before the advent of digital photography. This meant carefully coating a glass plate with light-sensitive chemicals, exposing it in the camera, and then developing the image in a darkroom, all before the plate dried. This was an exacting and time-consuming process, requiring skill, precision, and considerable physical labor. Baldus’s choice of subject is also telling. By focusing on architecture, he directs our attention to the built environment, and to the labor and craftsmanship required to create such a structure. The photograph captures the ornate facade of the Pavillon, with its intricate carvings and classical details, and stands as a testament to the skills of the stonemasons and artisans who erected it. The photograph thus not only documents their work, but becomes a work of art in its own right.