Ely Cathedral: Nave to East, from Octagon Arch 1891

Editor: This is Frederick H. Evans’ photograph, "Ely Cathedral: Nave to East, from Octagon Arch," taken in 1891. The soaring arches and rhythmic columns create a sense of almost otherworldly grandeur. What do you see in this piece, particularly with your background? Curator: Evans captures not just stone, but the soul embedded within those arches. Look at how the light filters through, almost like grace itself, illuminating the layers of history. Notice how the repetition of forms, those pointed arches, those clustered columns, echo the aspirations towards the divine so central to the medieval mindset. Don't you feel a certain…longing within the frame? Editor: Definitely! There's something about the perspective, drawing the eye deeper and deeper into the cathedral's heart, almost as if searching. Does that have symbolic significance? Curator: Absolutely! Consider the pointed arch, a hallmark of Gothic architecture. It’s not merely structural; it’s a visual metaphor for ascension, a striving towards a higher plane. Then reflect upon light – lux – piercing stained glass. Consider how medieval theologians saw light as a manifestation of God, bringing clarity to the faithful, dissolving earthly doubt, the "divine illumination." Do you recognize a spiritual story contained there, through a photographic language? Editor: Yes, it's becoming clearer! So Evans isn't just documenting a building, he's evoking centuries of faith and philosophy, isn't he? Curator: Precisely! And the Pictorialist style emphasizes the photographer's artistic vision over mere mechanical reproduction. He sought to capture the essence, the felt experience of the sacred space. Think of it as cultural memory being visually archived through intentional compositions and lighting choices. Editor: This has really opened my eyes to the symbolic depth present, going beyond just a picture of architecture. I'll never look at a cathedral, or even a photograph, the same way again. Curator: Nor I. Each encounter with such imagery refreshes and reframes the ways in which symbols persist and reshape themselves through changing times.