Fotoreproductie van een tekening, voorstellende een tekening van een kapiteel met paardenhoofden voor de Salle du Manège in het Palais du Louvre te Parijs before 1870

Edouard Baldus created this photographic reproduction of a drawing of a capital with horses’ heads for the Salle du Manège in the Palais du Louvre in Paris. The image is dominated by the capital itself, rendered in meticulous detail with a tonal range which gives the sculpture a three-dimensional quality. The dark backdrop throws the lighter capital into sharp relief, making the ornamental carving stand out. At the time, photography was heralded for its ability to accurately reproduce artworks, offering a new way to study and disseminate images of art and architecture. However, the photograph is not a neutral copy; Baldus’s choices around lighting, focus, and framing intervene. The visual components within the drawing, such as the wreaths and shield, might symbolically evoke notions of victory and nobility. Consider the formal interplay between documentation and artistry, and how Baldus uses photography not just to replicate, but to interpret and re-present the original drawing.