Eglise St. Etienne, Caen

Braun et Compagnie

1876-89

A carbon-print photograph of the medieval Church of Saint-Étienne in Caen, made to record and present its monumental twin towers and worn stone surfaces to 19th‑century viewers.

The sight is dominated by two soaring, slightly uneven spires rising from a blocky Romanesque façade, their ribbed stone and repeating arches rendered in warm sepia while the low, tiled rooftops of the town tuck in around the base.

This work is part of a 19th‑century effort to use photography to document and popularize historic architecture, influencing scholarship, restoration practices, and public taste in medieval monuments.

Palette

Art Terms

Photography Documentary photography Architecture Built environment Cityscape Monochrome

Exhibitions

French Photographs: Daguerre to Atget

1945

Roots of French Photography

1949

Steichen: The Master Prints, 1895–1914

1978

Photographs Before Surrealism

1968