Abside et tour de l’église Saint-Gervais-Saint-Protais. 4ème arrondissement 1895 - 1905

Frédéric Houbron captured the apse and tower of the Saint-Gervais-Saint-Protais church with pencil on paper, sometime between the late 19th and early 20th century. The artist's hand is clearly visible in this preliminary sketch. Each line bears the mark of his skill and care in tracing the outlines and architectural details of the church with precision, capturing its essence through the deliberate use of shading and perspective. But we might also consider the labor involved in the building of the church itself. Built in the Gothic style, it would have necessitated architects, stone carvers, glaziers, carpenters, and many more besides, each contributing their specialized knowledge to the overall design. Understanding the labor involved in the architecture itself can help us to appreciate not only the technical skill of the artist, but the generations of craftspeople that built Paris.