[Sculpture of Angel at Sainte-Chapelle, Paris]
This rare early work by Mestral captures the period's simultaneous interest in history and its willingness to replace the weathered vestiges of the past with crisp re-creations. What we see here is not a Gothic sculpture but rather a work by Adolphe-Victor Geoffroy Dechaume (1816-1892), newly carved to adorn the chevet of the jewel-like Sainte-Chapelle in Paris, then being "restored" by Viollet-le-Duc. Dechaume's angel seems to have materialized like an apparition, for Marville arranged the picture and adjusted the lens so that only the sculpture itself is sharply focused.
Artwork Details
- Title: [Sculpture of Angel at Sainte-Chapelle, Paris]
- Artist: Auguste Mestral (French, Rans 1812–1884 Rans)
- Date: 1853–1854
- Medium: Salted paper print from paper negative
- Dimensions: 33.9 x 22.3 cm (13 3/8 x 8 3/4 in.)
- Classification: Photographs
- Credit Line: Purchase, Jennifer and Joseph Duke Gift, 2000
- Object Number: 2000.291
- Curatorial Department: Photographs
More Artwork
A slider containing 5 items.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Charles Marville
1856
Auguste Mestral
1853–54
Auguste Mestral
1853–1854
Auguste Mestral
1853–1854
Charles Nègre
1858–59
Research Resources
The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.
To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.
Feedback
We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.