Notre-Dame; April 2019
The fire is the latest cruelty inflicted on a Paris weary of cruelties.
Notre-Dame embodies Paris in size, mass, history, and moral weight, minimally leavened by some art: like ancient and ponderous concierges guarding whatever lies inside, its two massive towers were burdened by centuries of history; they fronted heavily and wearily on the public space; its saints and gargoyles competed symbolically for attention (the gargoyles were winning); it was more secular tourist attraction than religious center; most of its external grace and artistry resided in its spire and soaring buttresses, seen best from the little park behind.
That the fire destroyed the spire but not the towers is of limited consolation. The silver lining (or treasure at the end of the rainbow) will be its resurrection and the formal recognition of its importance to the world, not just Paris.
Comments
After a lifetime of mainly expressing myself with words, my postings here will mainly rely on images. They will speak for themselves to some extent, but I'll usually add a few comments of explanation. I've taken photographs for decades, since the 1950's, inspired in part by my father's photographic skill. Four years of photo assignments and quality darkroom time eventually gave way to decades of casual and family picture-taking. I re-immersed myself when I left film and turned to digital.