Artwork Page for Statue of the Virgin, Notre Dame de Paris

Details / Information for Statue of the Virgin, Notre Dame de Paris

Statue of the Virgin, Notre Dame de Paris

1853

Auguste Mestral

(French, 1812–1884)
Culture
France, 19th century
Medium
salted paper print from paper negative
Measurements
Image: 35.2 x 25.8 cm (13 7/8 x 10 3/16 in.); Matted: 61 x 50.8 cm (24 x 20 in.)
Credit Line
Andrew R. and Martha Holden Jennings Fund 2007.12
Public Domain
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Location
Not on view
Print

Description

Around 1853, Auguste Mestral was commissioned by sculptor and metalsmith Adolphe-Victor Geoffroy-Dechaume to photograph sculptures he was carving for the Cathedral of Notre Dame. They were intended to replace ones that had been damaged by weather or during the Revolution. It is believed that this photograph was at one point owned by Eugène Viollet-le-Duc, the architect heading the church’s restoration. This sculpture now stands in front of the rose window on the west (main) facade of the church.
A sepia-toned, vertically oriented photograph depicts a stone statue of a crowned woman holding a child on her left arm. She stands on a wooden platform with downcast eyes, gripping a broken scepter in her right hand. Robes drape her body as she treads on a small, crouching figure. Behind her, scaffolding and a barrel frame three sculpted figures recessed in a wall. Muted brown tones emphasize the weathered textures of the construction site.

Statue of the Virgin, Notre Dame de Paris

1853

Auguste Mestral

(French, 1812–1884)
France, 19th century

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