Deur van de Saint-Maclou te Rouen door Jean Goujon c. 1875 - 1900

Étienne Neurdein captured this photograph of the ornate door of the Saint-Maclou church in Rouen sometime in the mid-19th century. Churches like Saint-Maclou were the center of community life, and the entrance was not merely functional, but a visual representation of faith and societal values. The intricately carved doors weren't just decorative; they were pedagogical tools designed to communicate religious narratives to a largely illiterate population. Consider, what does it mean to have stories literally carved in stone? Who gets to decide what stories are told? How do these stories shape communal memory and identity? Neurdein’s photograph documents Jean Goujon’s original 16th-century design, but it also stands as a testament to the shifting cultural values of 19th-century France, when a fascination with medieval craftsmanship and religious iconography intersected with new technologies. The photograph flattens the door, yet invites us to contemplate the thresholds we cross—both physical and spiritual.