Gipsmodellen voor beeldhouwwerken op het Palais du Louvre: links "Le Guerre" door Democrito Gandolphi en rechts "L'Asie" door Carl Elshoecht c. 1855 - 1857

Edouard Baldus made this photograph of plaster models for sculptures at the Palais du Louvre. Baldus worked in a moment when photography was being used to document and classify the world. The photograph captures two allegorical sculptures: "Le Guerre" and "L'Asie." These works reflect the 19th-century European fascination with, and simultaneous domination over, other cultures. What does it mean to represent "war" and "Asia" through symbolic figures? "Le Guerre" embodies a classical, masculine form, while "L'Asie" presents a vision of the East through a Western lens. The sculptures reinforce power dynamics, casting Europe as dominant. Consider how Baldus’s photograph, in its attempt to document and preserve, also participates in shaping perceptions and reinforcing cultural hierarchies. These objects invite us to reflect on the ways in which art can both reflect and construct our understanding of identity and power.