East End, Troyes Cathedral under Restoration, France

Charles Marville

1863 · Albumen silver print from glass negative · Photographs

Marville’s clever photograph deftly deploys a simple tool, a very tall ladder, to indicate the impressive height of the cathedral, emphasizing its symbolism as the meeting point between heaven and earth. More pragmatically, the inclusion of rubble, a shed, and other signs of construction denote the transitional state of the cathedral and the extent of the work site. Marville made the photograph for the architect charged with the cathedral’s restoration, Eugène Millet.

Artist

Charles Marville

Date

1863

Medium

Albumen silver print from glass negative

Department

Photographs

Credit line

Gift of Joyce F. Menschel, in celebration of the Museum’s 150th Anniversary, 2019