Nieuw protestants kerkgebouw in Saint-Dié-des-Vosges 1856

Curator: This engraving, dating from 1856, depicts the “Nieuw protestants kerkgebouw in Saint-Dié-des-Vosges," or new Protestant church, found in that city. It's after a sketch by M. Félix Noel, if the inscription is to be believed. Editor: The stark geometry of the building, offset by the soft rendering of the landscape and the gathering of figures, creates such a quiet and considered feel. Almost austere, would you agree? Curator: Austerity and simplicity were key aspects of Protestant church design at the time, particularly in contrast to the elaborate Baroque Catholic churches. The location and date would have definitely been a factor. After the French Revolution and various subsequent periods of unrest, church architecture and symbolism was always caught in the political crossfire between the Catholic Royalists and secular Republicans. This church in Saint-Dié represents a quieter form of assertion, if you will. Editor: It’s fascinating to think about the production process too. The original sketch, perhaps dashed off in situ, would have needed to be carefully transferred onto the engraving plate, each line etched painstakingly by hand. It brings an interesting dimension to it. What stone was it made out of, I wonder. Curator: Hard to say with certainty from the engraving alone. Sandstone or limestone are possibilities. It’s also fascinating to me how the choice of architectural style – something that evokes older gothic forms, modified as it is – signals something about this Protestant community's desire to connect with its past, perhaps even validate its presence in a region historically dominated by Catholicism. Editor: Indeed. And look at the level of detail achieved purely through line work and cross-hatching! The texture of the stone, the intricate rose window... It feels much larger and heavier in my mind, almost monolithic, as I spend more time with it, even though in reality it's quite small. Curator: This print serves as an excellent historical record of architectural trends. It really encapsulates the sociopolitical dynamic that informed religious building projects of that period, don't you think? Editor: I find myself returning to the almost handmade nature of it all— from Noel’s initial sketch to the engraver's painstaking efforts to capture and replicate it, there is great skill involved, with a sense of purpose imbued into its very material.