Gipsmodellen voor het timpaan van de ramen van de eerste verdieping van het Pavillon Sully c. 1855 - 1857

Edouard Baldus made this photograph of plaster models for the Pavillon Sully's window tympanum. The models, likely crafted by skilled artisans, demonstrate traditional techniques, meticulously shaping the plaster to achieve a refined level of detail. The choice of plaster itself is significant. As a relatively inexpensive material, plaster allowed for the creation of intricate architectural details. Its workability enabled artisans to reproduce classical motifs, like these recumbent lions flanking a shield, on a scale suitable for mass production. Think of these as prototypes. The finished objects, made from stone, would have contributed to the grandeur of the Louvre, but these plaster models offer a glimpse into the labor involved in achieving that effect. They remind us of the collaborative processes that underpinned the construction of monumental buildings. By focusing on these intermediate objects, Baldus brings the labor of production into view, inviting us to reconsider the relationship between art, craft, and the broader social context of 19th-century France.