Gipsmodellen voor een gewelfversiering van het Palais du Louvre door Flandrin c. 1855 - 1857

Edouard Baldus created this photogravure of plaster models for vault decorations in the Louvre. Notice how the composition centers around the contrast between the curved, fragmented pediment and the circular medallion below. The monochrome tonality allows us to focus on the sculptural forms and their arrangement, drawing attention to the textures and the play of light and shadow that define each figure. Baldus's choice to document these plaster models engages with ideas of representation, documentation, and the archival impulse of the 19th century. Photography was seen as an objective medium, capable of capturing reality with precision, yet here, it mediates our encounter with art, adding another layer to its interpretation. Consider how the formal qualities of this print—its tonal range, the clarity of detail, and the composition—serve not only to document but also to interpret and present these models within a specific historical and cultural context.