Gipsmodellen voor beeldhouwwerken op het Palais du Louvre - Édouard Denis Baldus

A detailed salted paper print by Édouard Denis Baldus documenting plaster models for sculptural reliefs at the Palais du Louvre.

This photographic study by Édouard Denis Baldus captures two plaster models for sculptural reliefs intended for the Palais du Louvre in Paris. The left figure represents L'Abondance, while the right figure depicts La Fortune, both designed by the sculptor Emile Seurre. Baldus, a prominent figure in nineteenth-century photography, was commissioned by the French government to document the extensive renovations and expansions of the Louvre under Napoleon III.

Baldus utilised the salted paper process to record these architectural details with precision. The composition isolates the two spandrel-shaped reliefs against a neutral background, allowing the viewer to examine the classical drapery and allegorical attributes of the figures. The number 597 is visible on each model, indicating their status as catalogued items within the workshop or the broader architectural project. This image belongs to a larger series of documentation that Baldus produced during the mid-1850s, which provided a systematic record of the decorative programme of the palace.

The clarity of the print demonstrates the technical skill Baldus brought to his architectural commissions. By focusing on the sculptural form, he provides a clear view of the intended ornamentation for the building's facade. The work functions as a historical record of the collaboration between architects, sculptors, and photographers during the Second Empire. It offers a glimpse into the meticulous preparation required for the monumental decorative schemes of the period, capturing the transition from the sculptor's plaster model to the final stone execution on the palace walls.