Gipsmodellen voor beeldhouwwerken op het Palais du Louvre: links "Les Combats" door Jean-François Soitoux en rechts "La Force" door Armand Toussaint c. 1855 - 1857

light pencil work

pencil sketch

incomplete sketchy

hand drawn type

personal sketchbook

hand-drawn typeface

ink drawing experimentation

pen-ink sketch

sketchbook drawing

sketchbook art

This photograph, taken by Édouard Baldus between 1855 and 1857, depicts plaster models for sculptures intended for the Palais du Louvre in Paris. On the left is "Les Combats" by Jean-François Soitoux, and on the right is "La Force" by Armand Toussaint. Both sculptures feature winged figures with a dynamic, almost Baroque style, demonstrating the prevailing artistic tastes of the time. Baldus was a pioneer of architectural photography, capturing the detail and grandeur of these sculptures for posterity. This image, now part of the Rijksmuseum's collection, is a testament to the artistic and architectural ambitions of 19th-century France.