Gipsmodel voor versiering van het Palais du Louvre door Marie Etienne Cousseau c. 1855 - 1857

This photograph by Edouard Baldus captures a plaster model designed by Marie Etienne Cousseau for the Louvre Palace. Baldus, working in mid-19th century France, was commissioned to document significant architectural projects, reflecting a period of intense national pride and construction. This image, however, provides a look behind the scenes, and forefronts the work of Cousseau, an artist whose contribution might have otherwise been obscured. Consider the layers of representation: Baldus photographs Cousseau’s plaster model. What does it mean to see the making of a monument, and not just the monument itself? The intricate floral design suggests an aesthetic preference for ornamentation during that time, but it also speaks to the broader cultural values invested in the Louvre as a symbol of French identity and power. In its own way, Baldus' photograph is an act of preservation, a testament to the ephemeral nature of creation.