Église Saint-Vincent-de-Paul te Marseille in aanbouw 1855 - 1860

Editor: This photograph by Adolphe Terris, taken sometime between 1855 and 1860, depicts the Église Saint-Vincent-de-Paul in Marseille while it was still under construction. The sepia tones and focus on the bare structure give it a ghostly, almost ethereal feel. What do you see in this piece, looking at it through the lens of symbolism? Curator: What immediately strikes me is the scaffolding. We often overlook such temporary structures, but they represent a vital stage: potential taking shape. Here, we see the skeleton, so to speak, of a sacred space. Note the openings or embrasures on the wall; aren't they subtly reminiscent of crosses, even if unintentionally so at this phase? How might those symbols of faith resonate with viewers aware that it’s a house of worship in the making? Editor: I hadn't thought about those shapes as crosses, but I can see that now. It makes you wonder about the workers who built this place, what they thought about those forms taking shape as they built the walls. Curator: Exactly. Consider that buildings are often built incrementally and symbolically. Even practical choices, like the placement of those openings for ventilation, could inadvertently echo religious symbolism. These accidental symbols work on our subconscious, imbuing the space with an implicit spirituality even before it is complete. It demonstrates the power of imagery, planned or not, in shaping our experience of the built environment. Editor: So the construction itself becomes a kind of ritual. Curator: In a way, yes. Construction contains symbolic and spiritual meaning. The photograph becomes not just a record of building, but of a collective act of faith. How does seeing the image now, in this light, change your perspective? Editor: It really adds a layer of depth. I'll definitely look at buildings differently from now on. Curator: Hopefully with a keener sense of what the iconographic programme, overt or inadvertent, wants us to remember.