Altaar met Maria met kind in de Basilique Saint-Epvre te Nancy before 1896

Curator: Alright, let's dive into this intriguing print! Editor: We are looking at a print from before 1896, titled "Altar with Mary and Child in the Basilique Saint-Epvre in Nancy." It's quite striking, the stark black and white and the almost overwhelming detail in the altar itself. It feels both grand and intimate at the same time. What stands out to you when you first look at it? Curator: You nailed that description, by the way! For me, I keep finding my eyes drawn upward by the light, almost airy geometry. But it is light filtering down, yes? Imagine standing there, and trying to grasp this holy image... light filtering through stained glass—probably not there but somehow hinted at. You see it too? This might not be real, of course—it is a mechanical reproduction and a carefully crafted fabrication. But you feel invited... and perhaps to reconsider that idea. How strange and intriguing is that! Editor: It’s funny you mention light because I find it so dark and gothic. I wasn’t seeing the lightness, just the shadow. Is the shadow also inviting, though? I also love the detail on the altar, and especially in this photo-print thing. You don't think it loses anything in the mechanical process? Curator: Mechanical processes can surprise! I find there is some unique detail that the technology picks up that an artist may dismiss as "insignificant" during in-person creation. Here the altar *shimmers*, don’t you think? And who would design all those crazy circles? I doubt those are accidents either. Look at how Mary and child is perfectly posed to stand out. That’s a lot for a photogravure of an alter. I also think its a call to "transcend"—the Virgin will "raise" you... Editor: So much to ponder there! It is curious to think of an old-fashioned print creating new, intriguing visual impressions. Maybe photography isn’t just replicating. Thank you for shedding new light on this for me! Curator: Ha! Glad I could shed some...light.