Sculptuur van Maria met kind aan de Notre-Dame, Parijs 1853

Curator: This gelatin-silver print from 1853 captures a sculpture of Mary with Child, positioned at Notre-Dame in Paris, through the lens of Charles Nègre. What strikes you first? Editor: It has a sort of ethereal, otherworldly glow. Almost as if Mary and the Christ child are about to ascend from their stone perch! Curator: Indeed. Nègre masterfully uses light to create a sense of the divine. The contrast is especially pronounced around the figures, making them seem almost luminous against the rough stone of the Notre-Dame facade. Observe how he handles the composition. Editor: Well, the Madonna and child form a solid vertical, dominating the space, right? It is simple but strong. What I also see is that the photographer creates depth by capturing this sculpture in situ—its natural environment so to speak. You immediately get that impression. The photographic vantage point contributes to that sensation. It really invites us to contemplate it deeply. Curator: Precisely! The surrounding architectural details root it in reality. Notice how Nègre hasn’t shied away from showing the irregularities of the stonework. What we call photography today—that is, photography in its most straightforward sense—barely existed, or was being born, at this time. Editor: This tension is tangible—this work wavers between documentation and some higher symbolic purpose. What do you suppose someone in 1853 felt seeing this kind of image for the first time? Curator: Hard to know for sure. The beauty and the emotional heft would have registered even if photographic techniques seemed strange or uncanny. Perhaps they also questioned the “honesty” of photography? Its artistic intention or lack thereof. I imagine reactions might vary quite dramatically. Editor: Right. Well, in looking, I’m drawn into its strange intimacy and can see its inherent reverence too. A real glimpse of transcendence. Curator: Yes, and through Nègre's technical skill, we not only see a sculpture but also witness an era grappling with how art and technology intersect, shaping our perceptions and understanding of the world around us.