Saint John the Evangelist, Chartres Cathedral c. 1854

Charles Nègre made this photograph of the Saint John the Evangelist sculpture at Chartres Cathedral using a waxed paper negative. Nègre, working in mid-nineteenth-century France, was part of a generation grappling with how new technologies could capture and reframe the past. Here, the photograph’s focus on a religious figure in a sacred space intersects with broader societal questions about faith, knowledge, and history. Nègre's choice to photograph a sculpture rather than a living subject reflects a desire to document and preserve cultural heritage amid rapid social change. In his time, photography was not just a tool for documentation, but a medium that could evoke emotional responses and engage with cultural memory. Consider how Nègre’s work provides insight into 19th century sensibilities, where identity and history were being actively negotiated through art and technology. It invites us to consider how our own technologies shape our understanding of the past.