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Interior Details and Candelabra, Théâtre du Vaudeville, Paris

A work made of albumen print.
CC0 Public Domain Designation

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  • A work made of albumen print.

Date:

1869, printed 1875/76

Artist:

Louis-Emile Durandelle
French, 1839–1917

About this artwork

One of the most accomplished architectural photographers of 19th-century France, Louis-Emile Durandelle was hired to document such buildings as the opulent Paris Opéra, the Bibliothèque Nationale, and (as shown here) the newly rebuilt Théâtre du Vaudeville. In a process lasting several years, he would photograph the construction process from the laying of foundations through completion, often revealing elements of the finished building not visible to the unaided eye: details of decorative features, for example, or hidden structural components. His images freed architects from drawing complex patterns and moldings by hand, kept clients abreast of construction progress, and formed a historical record of huge urban undertakings.

Architectural photographer Louis-Émile Durandelle documented some of the most prestigious construction projects of 19th-century Paris. His photographs often reveal elements of a completed building not apparent to the unaided eye: hidden structural components or details of decorative features. Here he isolated decorative elements intended for the Théâtre du Vaudeville’s interior in front of a makeshift backdrop. A glimpse of a vaulted roof in the background suggests that Durandelle worked on site, employing both studio equipment (the backdrop) and materials from the construction site itself (the wooden plank beneath the objects). More puzzling is the appearance of a wrinkled sheet of paper at the lower left, tucked beneath an ornate capital with apparent haste.

Status

Currently Off View

Department

Photography and Media

Artist

Louis-Emile Durandelle

Title

Interior Details and Candelabra, Théâtre du Vaudeville, Paris

Place

France (Artist's nationality:)

Date  Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.

Made 1869

Medium

Albumen print

Dimensions

Image/paper: 38.7 × 28 cm (15 1/4 × 11 1/16 in.); Mount: 54.4 × 43.5 cm (21 7/16 × 17 3/16 in.)

Credit Line

Smart Family Acquisition Fund

Reference Number

2012.538

IIIF Manifest  The International Image Interoperability Framework (IIIF) represents a set of open standards that enables rich access to digital media from libraries, archives, museums, and other cultural institutions around the world.

Learn more.

https://api.artic.edu/api/v1/artworks/215282/manifest.json

Extended information about this artwork

Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.

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