Interior Details and Candelabra, Théâtre du Vaudeville, Paris

Discussion

FROM THE ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO’S CATALOG

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 sug

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