Gipsmodellen voor beeldhouwwerken op het Palais du Louvre: "Les Arts et les Sciences" door François Jouffroy c. 1855 - 1857

Edouard Baldus made this photograph of plaster models for sculptures at the Palais du Louvre in Paris, likely in the 1850s. The sculptures themselves, titled "The Arts and the Sciences," were made by François Jouffroy. This image gives us insight into the process of creating public art in 19th-century France. We see allegorical figures representing Art and Science, common motifs in official art meant to convey a nation's values and aspirations. The Louvre, of course, was not just a palace but a museum, a key institution in shaping artistic taste and national identity. Baldus's photograph is not simply a record but an artwork in itself. He was commissioned to document public works, and his images helped circulate and promote these projects. By studying photographs like this alongside archival documents, we can better understand the complex relationship between art, power, and national ambition in 19th-century France.