Orange, Arc Antique 1863 - 1865

Curator: Edouard Baldus captured "Orange, Arc Antique" between 1863 and 1865. It’s now part of the Met's collection here in New York. What’s your initial reaction? Editor: Stark grandeur, maybe even haunted. The detail against the plain sky almost flattens the perspective. It feels weighty, almost as if the past itself is pressing down. Curator: The scale Baldus achieves is impressive, especially considering his process. Each print demanded painstaking effort—the large format required glass plate negatives. And he wasn't just documenting; Baldus chose specific lighting conditions to emphasize the arch's texture. Editor: I wonder what Baldus wanted to show beyond just a document? Note how he positioned the arch right in the frame’s center. All those little holes and shadows scattered across the stones—makes me think of loss and aging, but still standing strong, refusing to crumble. What strikes me is how much damage this Roman ruin has gone through. Curator: Absolutely, but the centering gives it power. The arrangement is like a symbolic portrait where symmetry emphasizes the strength of Roman order, while details whisper stories. These elements are carefully arranged like rhetorical elements into an impressive argument. Editor: The composition really nails the way architecture tells tales. Those carved friezes—tiny battles, grand victories. They bring me to an almost tactile understanding of Roman Imperial power. In the end, what's amazing to me about Baldus’s work here is this mix of capturing reality through photo technology mixed with history itself. Curator: I feel that captures his spirit, his urge to capture not just what he sees, but to capture how the building bears the weight of what it has seen. Baldus created lasting windows through which to perceive the ever-changing relationship between civilization, time, and legacy, but ultimately inviting us to reflect and understand what stands behind. Editor: Thanks, that’s really broadened my understanding, especially thinking about that personal link between viewer and ancient construction that endures in Baldus’s work.