Hoofdportaal van de kathedraal van Amiens 1850 - 1853

Charles Marville captured this albumen print of the main portal of the Cathedral of Amiens sometime in the mid-19th century. Marville, an official photographer of Paris, documented the city's architecture during a period of massive urban transformation under Baron Haussmann. This photograph reflects the 19th-century fascination with Gothic architecture. The Cathedral, a symbol of medieval Christian society, stood in stark contrast to the rapidly modernizing, secularizing world. But consider the layers of power embedded here: the church as an institution, the state-sponsored urban renewal, and Marville himself, an agent of visual representation. What does it mean to frame this imposing structure through the relatively new medium of photography? How might the act of documentation influence the way we understand not only the cathedral, but also the values and beliefs of the society that built it? The emotional impact of this image lies in its ability to evoke a sense of awe, coupled with the knowledge of a bygone era.