2-736-051 - Heritage Art/Heritage Images

Notre Dame de Paris, early 1860s. A successful commercial photographer, Soulier operated in partnerships initially with A. Clouzard and then with Claude-Marie Ferrier and his son, A. Ferrier. Soulier was admired for his naturalistic architectural and urban views of Paris. In this imposing frontal view of the front façade of Notre Dame, his skill at rendering great architectural monuments and placing them into the context of their urban environment is beautifully realized. Photographed in bright sunlight, the warmly toned photograph is filled with visual, textural, and incidental information. This engaging mid-century photograph is an early record of the cathedral’s surrounding neighborhood, bustling with human activity.