Retabel in een kapel in de Kathedraal van Exeter c. 1850 - 1880

Editor: This photograph, "Retabel in een kapel in de Kathedraal van Exeter," was taken by Francis Bedford sometime between 1850 and 1880. It’s a gelatin-silver print showing the reredos in St. Saviour’s Chapel. What I notice first is the sheer detail captured in the stonework, even in this monochrome image. What catches your eye in this photograph? Curator: The layered iconography fascinates me. Consider the photograph itself, a new medium attempting to capture the enduring symbols carved into stone. Notice how Bedford, perhaps unconsciously, frames the reredos – a screen concealing and revealing the sacred. Editor: So you’re seeing the photographic process itself as significant? Curator: Absolutely. The photograph is not just a record, it participates in a long tradition of mediating sacred space. And the reredos itself—examine the figures. Do you notice any repetition or particular pairings? Editor: There are several figures depicted, what seem like biblical scenes maybe? Curator: Yes. These repeated figures, carved within the reredos, act as anchors for memory. They link contemporary worshippers to a historical and spiritual narrative. It reminds the viewer of past stories but it places the chapel and worshippers in it as part of one unified culture, time, and belief. Editor: That's really interesting. It makes me think about how different people, even now, might interpret these symbols in varied ways, bringing their own cultural context. Curator: Precisely! Bedford's photograph captures not just stone, but the potential for endless reinterpretation— a testament to the power of enduring symbols. Editor: This was great, I’ll definitely look at Bedford's photograph in a different light now.