Ornament met arabesken van een salon (vermoedelijk) in het Palais des Tuileries te Parijs before 1870

Edouard Baldus created this print of an arabesque ornament, possibly from the Palais des Tuileries in Paris. The work presents a monochromatic study of architectural detail, focusing on texture and form. The elaborate design, rendered with meticulous precision, invites us to consider the interplay between light and shadow across its surface. The composition is structured around a vertical panel filled with swirling foliage, floral motifs, and classical figures. Baldus masterfully uses light to accentuate the depth and relief of the carving, creating a play of textures. The photograph serves as a document, but also an aesthetic exploration, where the ornament's intrinsic beauty takes precedence. The Palais des Tuileries, as a structure, was meant to project power and taste. Baldus' print captures this ambition, freezing in time the artistic intentions of the palace's design. This work, while seemingly representational, transcends mere documentation to become an exploration of how architectural elements communicate cultural values through their very form.