Bogen van het triforium in de Abdij van Rievaulx before 1856

Editor: This gelatin silver print from before 1856, titled "Arches of the Triforium in Rievaulx Abbey" by Joseph Cundall, really strikes me as hauntingly beautiful. There's this sense of enduring history in the ruins. What stands out to you? Curator: What I see here are the echoes of faith and power, frozen in time. The architecture, specifically the arches, aren't just structural elements; they are symbols. How do you interpret the repeated arch motif? What emotions does that repetition stir? Editor: Well, the repetition does give it a rhythmic feel, almost like a song. Maybe a somber one, given the ruins. It also feels like a connection, one arch leading to the next, linking past to present. Does the style tell us anything about the original purpose of the abbey? Curator: Indeed, the arches tell us of the Abbot's aspiration to rise, and his ability to command vast material and manpower resources. Consider how medieval builders utilized symbols to speak to the invisible world. These arches don’t just define space; they also elevate the spirit, meant to inspire awe and devotion, creating a dialogue between the earthly and the divine. In what ways could we connect those spiritual dimensions with current experiences? Editor: That's fascinating. It makes me think about how we still use grand architecture today to symbolize power and inspire similar emotions, though maybe more about national pride than religious devotion now. So the abbey ruins hold those historical aspirations frozen in time? Curator: Precisely. Ruins act as palimpsests, where we see traces of many layers. Through an Iconographic reading, what this print captures is not merely a physical place but a persistent symbol, the arch representing transcendence itself. Editor: I never thought about architecture speaking like that. It adds a whole new dimension to ruins, seeing them as echoes of the past speaking to us today. Curator: Absolutely. It encourages us to see beyond the physical and delve into the layered stories symbols continue to tell.