Gipsmodellen voor kariatiden op het Palais du Louvre door Louis Brian c. 1855 - 1857

Edouard Baldus captured these plaster models for caryatids at the Louvre, around the mid-19th century, using photography. The caryatids, figures of women functioning as architectural support, draw directly from ancient Greek motifs, evoking a sense of classical antiquity. These figures, draped in classical robes, carry a lineage stretching back to the Erechtheion on the Acropolis. We see a revival during the Renaissance, and then again here during the height of French classicism. This act of continuous revival is not merely aesthetic, but symbolic. These figures are not simply supporting structures, they embody a deep, subconscious connection to the past. The choice of the female form speaks to ideas of strength, endurance, and also a certain burden, linking to ancient myths of servitude and sacrifice. This photograph reminds us that symbols never truly disappear; they resurface, transformed, laden with new cultural weight. They are a testament to the enduring power of the image.