Null Édouard Baldus (1813-1889)
Louvre. Paris, c. 1855-1860.
Pavillon Mollien.…

Description

Édouard Baldus (1813-1889) Louvre. Paris, c. 1855-1860. Pavillon Mollien. Sully Pavilion. Tuileries Palace. Three (3) albumen prints, mounted on card. Photographer's signature in one negative (1). Signature stamp (3) and caption (1) on mounts. Sizes: 26.5x20 to 44x34.5 cm

7

Édouard Baldus (1813-1889) Louvre. Paris, c. 1855-1860. Pavillon Mollien. Sully Pavilion. Tuileries Palace. Three (3) albumen prints, mounted on card. Photographer's signature in one negative (1). Signature stamp (3) and caption (1) on mounts. Sizes: 26.5x20 to 44x34.5 cm

Auction is over for this lot. See the results

You may also like

Estim. 2 000 - 3 000 EUR

BALDUS, Édouard The Louvre. 1149 orig. photos pasted on 462 plates, 1 engraving and 2 plans. Collected in 9 slipcases. The photographs are salted paper prints from negatives on paper (for small formats: details of sculptures) or collodion glass (for large formats: pavilions of the Nouveau Louvre), between 1855 and 1857.The construction of the new Louvre was the subject of a formidable photographic operation commissioned by the Minister of State, Achille Fould, and Lefuel. In May 1854, on the oral instructions of the Minister, Lefuel asked Baldus (1813-1882), photographer of the history of the Louvre, to preserve an image of the extraordinary construction site of the new Louvre, thanks to the new medium of photography. Lefuel's aim was to build up a photographic archive of the key moments in the construction of the new Louvre. Baldus photographed every stage in the construction of the new Louvre. This is the series of "vues du dimanche" or "épreuves du dimanche". Every Sunday, Baldus photographed the various pavilions and wings of the Louvre under construction from several vantage points, from the demolition of the old structures to the raising of the storeys and the installation of statues on the facades. Today, thanks to these photographs, we can follow the construction of the new buildings step by step. For the various stages of the Louvre's construction, Baldus produced high-quality photos with meticulous framing, and shots that give the impression of space, volume and monumentality. Qualities that few photographers of the time were able to achieve. Baldus avoided the picturesque, and his plates are considered by specialists to be the pinnacle of the art. In 1855, Baldus received a new commission. It was to photograph all the statues and decorations on the façades of the Louvre. This work is a unique source of information on the statues executed during this period of sculptural splendor. All the statues were photographed, not only those we see today, but also those that were proposed to Lefuel and rejected, those that were abandoned, those that were destroyed or moved. All the statues were photographed between 1855 and 1868, with the exception of two statues by Préault, War and Peace (no doubt due to the author's speed of execution). The photographs of the statues and decorations were taken by Baldus, refusing any artistic effects and focusing on the most rigorous restitution of the statuary (all photos are taken rigorously facing the work, without any distortion due to perspective). The statues are photographed at the plaster model stage, when they are made available by the sculptors on Swan Island. Each photograph is accompanied by a commentary indicating the author, the name of the work or, failing that, the type of work (pediment, crowning group, etc.), the place of installation and the year of execution. These photographs and indications constitute an invaluable collection for researchers and historians. This exceptional collection represents several thousand photos, around five thousand in all. These photos were widely used as a reference for the restoration of the Illustrious Men and Geniuses with Attributes, between 1990 and 1993. These photos are also essential for keeping track of all the artists who contributed to the Louvre's decoration, especially those who are among the least well known. By the time he received the commission for the Louvre, Baldus was already well known as an architectural photographer. He had been chosen by the Monuments Historiques commission to photograph France's historic monuments as part of the heliographic mission launched in 1851 (along with three other photographers, Henri Le Secq, Gustave Le Gray and O. Mestral). In 1855, he was commissioned to photograph the landscapes crossed by the railway line from Paris to Boulogne. He produced a similar report in 1859, for the Paris-Lyon-Méditerranée line. In 1856, he was also commissioned by the Minister of the Interior to immortalize the landscapes of the Rhône after the 1856 floods. After 1868, and until his death (in 1889), Baldus was content to exploit his photographic holdings, publishing his pictures in the form of albums and taking part in international events (Paris, Brussels, London...).

Estim. 10 000 - 15 000 EUR

Baldus, Édouard ; Collard, Auguste

Estim. 100 - 150 EUR

Edouard CHARTON (1855-1890) Still life with thrushes Oil on panel, signed lower left. 23 x 16 cm

Estim. 80 - 100 EUR

[COLLECTIONS - MUSEUMS]. LELIEVRE (Edouard) and SAUZAY. Imperial Museum of the Louvre. Collection Sauvageot. Paris, Noblet et Baudry, 1863. 2 vols. In-folio (stains, wear)

Online payments are secured by Ingenico and encrypted transactions.

Each lot has been authenticated and appraised by an Auction House.

Consult our FAQ or contact us

Composed of several subsidiaries, the Drouot Group is a major player in the art market. Hôtel Drouot, located in the heart of Paris, has been the world's largest public auction center since 1852. 15 salerooms are available to more than 70 auction houses. The emulation generated by an annual offer of 230,000 artworks from 21 major specialities - from Antiquity to street art - attracts some 3,000 visitors every day. The Group's digital platform, Drouot.com, offers digital sales - Live auctions (live broadcasting and participation in auctions), Online-only auctions (dematerialised auctions) and Buy Now sales (sales of lots at fixed prices). Nearly 2 million items are offered annually by 600 auction houses. Auction news is reported every week in La Gazette Drouot, the leading weekly magazine for the art market and culture published by Auctionspress.

More about Drouot

Drouot certified auction houses

Contacts

HÔTEL DROUOT

9, rue Drouot 75009 Paris, France

+33 (0)1 48 00 20 00

[email protected]

DROUOT.com

[email protected]