Gipsmodellen voor beeldhouwwerken op het Palais du Louvre: "La Prudence et la Force" door Joseph Félon c. 1855 - 1857

Editor: So, this photograph by Edouard Baldus, taken around 1855-1857, captures Joseph Félon’s plaster models, “La Prudence et la Force”, intended for the Louvre. I find the symmetry striking, and the way the figures frame what looks like a barred window or unfinished space, it creates such a strong visual contrast. What strikes you about this image? Curator: The context here is key. Baldus’s photographs weren’t just documents; they were often commissioned to shape public perception of massive projects like the rebuilding of the Louvre. Think about it: the image itself is reinforcing an idealized vision of French power through Neoclassical imagery, presented in a modern medium of photography. What message do you think the artist and commissioners were trying to convey? Editor: Well, Prudence and Strength, clearly values they wanted associated with the French state... Almost like a brand. And by photographing these models destined for the Louvre, are they sort of legitimizing their connection to French history? Curator: Exactly! And consider how academic art served a very specific social function: to instruct, to moralize, and to reinforce existing hierarchies. How might this image play into those societal expectations and the public role of art? Editor: I guess it elevates the values of the ruling class, sort of suggesting these are timeless ideals and virtues the public should admire and maybe emulate. Seeing it like this, it really brings to light how intertwined art and politics are! Curator: Precisely. Photography became a tool, like architecture and sculpture, in constructing a particular national narrative. I always appreciate considering the sociopolitical functions behind what appear as "art" images. Editor: Me too, I always considered them to be disconnected.