Notre-Dame Through the Eyes of Artists: A Visual Tribute

Following the devastating fire at Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris, Artribune pays tribute by showcasing how the cathedral has been depicted by great artists throughout history. The fire affected the lateral towers, roof, and spire, with the collapse of the 19th-century spire captured by television broadcasters worldwide. The article highlights works by Maximilien Luce, who captured the cathedral at different times of day using pointillist techniques, and Armand Guillamin, whose impressionist brushstrokes play with light and shadow. Alfred-Alexandre Delauney portrayed the cathedral in its full composure, while Charles François Bossu used early photographic techniques to capture it from above, with the Paris rooftops in the background and the spire—the same one engulfed in flames—in the foreground. A late 19th-century photograph by Félix Thiollier shows his daughter Emma posing on a balcony of the cathedral, beside a gargoyle that appears frightened, mirroring the expressions of many on the night of the disaster. The article also promotes Artribune's newsletters: Incanti (weekly art market), Render (biweekly urban regeneration), PAX (biweekly cultural tourism), and Lettera (daily newsletter). The author, Giulia Ronchi, born in Pesaro in 1991, holds degrees from Università Cattolica di Milano and Accademia di Brera, and co-founded the curatorial group OUT44.