Stenen portaal bij het zuidelijke transept van de Collegiale kerk Onze-Lieve-Vrouw van Dinant before 1889

Editor: This print, taken before 1889, depicts the stone portal at the southern transept of the Collegiate Church of Notre-Dame in Dinant. The architecture just strikes me as incredibly imposing. What significance do you see in a structure like this? Curator: Well, the architecture speaks volumes. It’s Gothic, clearly, so we are already immersed in a world of aspiration – these soaring vertical lines quite literally directing the eye, and therefore the spirit, upwards. Tell me, what emotions are conjured up when you see this print? Editor: I guess awe, definitely a sense of something powerful and permanent. And maybe even a bit… detached? Like, it’s a record of something, rather than the thing itself. Curator: Precisely. It acts as a vessel of collective memory, doesn’t it? Think about the symbolic weight embedded within these structures. The archways themselves—a motif of passage, of entering a sacred space, and the sculptures nestled above evoke biblical stories, reinforcing a sense of shared history. Does that resonate with you? Editor: I think so, yeah. It's easy to forget these buildings were designed to teach as much as to inspire. The details all had meanings back then. Curator: Indeed! Every stone, every carving was intended to instill a certain narrative, reaffirm a specific belief. It served as cultural memory in action, especially important at a time when literacy was not common, images became critical conveyors of value and tradition. I think this image has staying power. Editor: I never considered the impact of visual imagery to those who were non-readers. It feels like viewing the church with entirely new eyes. Thanks. Curator: My pleasure, thinking of symbols and images as an ever-flowing current from one generation to the next is a fascinating field of inquiry.