Gezicht op de ridderzaal van het kasteel te Mont Saint-Michel before 1897

Curator: This is an image of the “View of the Knights’ Hall in the Castle of Mont Saint-Michel,” captured by Ernest Goethals before 1897. It's rendered as a print, likely from a drawing. Editor: It feels…immense. Those soaring columns immediately grab your attention, and then the vaulted ceilings disappearing into the distance. There’s a profound sense of space, a feeling of almost oppressive grandeur. Curator: Indeed, it's representative of medieval architectural sensibilities, meant to inspire awe and reinforce hierarchy. The Knights’ Hall itself would have served not just as a feasting space, but also as a stage for power. Think about the visual language: those columns aren’t just supports; they’re symbolic pillars upholding a social and political structure. Editor: Exactly! And it's difficult not to see the contemporary echoes of that visual language. I wonder, what activities happened there, how that power dynamic looked from the point of view of, say, a servant. And what kinds of contemporary events mimic those former structures of exclusion? We must be mindful of whose stories are centered within the images of the hall. Curator: We see repeated forms – in the columns, in the vaulted ceiling ribs, and likely also in the now lost tapestries that once adorned the walls. All these details help tell a specific historical tale, the cultural narrative woven around chivalry, strength, and divine right. This artistic expression cements a distinct form of cultural memory through symbolism. Editor: Absolutely. Remembering the power dynamics enshrined within architecture such as this is precisely the critical perspective we must bring forward, not just to learn from history, but to continue addressing its long-lasting legacies in art, in architecture, and beyond. Curator: It leaves one with a sense of history echoing. These images resonate far beyond their creation. Editor: Indeed, architecture continues to perpetuate old myths as it constructs new stories.