St. Pierre, Caen (view from northeast)
Alfred Capel Cure
British, 1826–1896
June 1856
A salted-paper photograph by Alfred Capel Cure that records the medieval church of St. Pierre in Caen and its riverside neighborhood, aiming to capture both architectural detail and the atmosphere of the place.
You’re struck by the church’s tall, needle-like spire rising above a tight cluster of weathered roofs and trees, rendered in the warm, soft tonalities and slight softness of the early salted-paper process.
Made in 1856, it shows how early photographers used new processes to document and popularize historic architecture, helping to shape Victorian interest in Gothic buildings and to establish photography as a serious means of visual record.
Medium
Salted paper print
Dimensions
7 13/16 × 9 13/16" (19.9 × 25.0 cm)
Classification
Department
Credit
Gift of Carey O. Cook
Accession
2.1983.49
Palette
Art Terms
Exhibitions
