[Rocks in the Auvergne]

Art Historical Context

**Rocks in thevergne** (1854, printed 1979) is a striking salted paper print from a paper negative by Édouardus, a master of early French photography. Capturing the volcanic terrain of France'svergne region, this33.9 x .8 cm landscape showcases rock formations under natural light evoking the raw power nature. Baldus, in the 1850, was renowned for his documentation of French architecture and, often commissioned by the to promote national heritage through publications like heliogravures. The salted paper process, pioneered by William Henry Fox Talbot the calotype technique, a paper negative for contact printing, yielding soft, luminous tones with subtle textures that paper prints uniquely offer—unlike the sharper glass negatives that followed. This modern 1979 print by Chicago Albumen Works revives Baldus's original vision, preserving its historical authenticity. As part of the Metropolitan Museum of Art's photography collection (accessioned 1988), it highlights the dawn of photography as an artistic medium, bridging scientific precision with poetic landscape interpretation. Visitors will appreciate how Baldus transformed geological wonders into timeless images, foreshadowing photography's role in environmental storytelling. A testament to 19th-century innovation! (198 words)

About the Artist

Edouard Baldus|Chicago Albumen Works · 1813–1889

Édouard-Denis Baldus (1813–1889), born in Grünebach, Prussia, moved to Paris in 1838 at age twenty-five to study painting outside the École des Beaux-Arts and atelier system. Trained initially as a painter, draughtsman, and lithographer, he exhibited at the Paris Salons from 1841 to 1851 without notable recognition. Around 1849, Baldus pivoted to photography, embracing William Henry Fox Talbot's p...