Notre Dame de l’Épine, near Rheims 1972

Curator: John Piper's "Notre Dame de l’Épine, near Rheims," presents the cathedral's facade with stark lines. Editor: It feels ghostly, almost like an architectural memory etched in time. The lack of color intensifies its ethereal quality. Curator: Piper often depicted architectural subjects, influenced by his interest in Romanticism and the Picturesque, focusing on the interplay of light, shadow, and the monumentality of structures. Editor: The image evokes questions of preservation and cultural heritage. Who has access to these spaces, and whose histories are prioritized within these architectural narratives? Curator: Indeed, it prompts us to consider how historical monuments serve as sites of collective memory and national identity. Editor: It makes you wonder, what will remain, and whose stories will these structures tell?