Wonderful archetecture.

cool

Beautifully photographed!

First of all, this type of subject is not easy to photograph. (I've tried, but so have professional art photographers.) This is because of the continual morph in light and shadow, and---in styles like this---the endless tracery, ornament, etc. It's just so much to capture and balance in one shot. You've done a fine job with all of it, with the brighter surfaces as well as the mini canyons and all that tracery. ("Turning stone into living tissue...") And your composition allows the two receding areas---to either side of the main figure---to frame the shot well. (I don't know who this figure is, but he looks like a Pope.) And in this image we can see the wealth of sculpture and bas relief that filled up these massive structures in the Middle Ages, making their churches encyclopedias of the faith's history. It's staggering to think of the planning and work that went into them. (Gives new meaning to the phrase, "duuuude, I like what you've done with the place!") You also caught the decay in the stone, and its rougher qualities---expected in a cathedral this age. I've never seen Chartres, so I'm jealous as all get-out that you have, and got to photograph it. I'd studied it, and imagined its impact. It looks---from picture after picture---like it takes the viewer right into the sky, into that heaven that the designers wanted you to feel, atop the rising pillars and arches, all pointing upwards. (One of the great features of the Gothic arch was that it pointed ever upwards.) But when one studies the interior for its massive lines---in pictures---one can forget the immense detail on so much of its walls. The designers literally wanted to turn a stone building into a sinew, into an organic growing inner sanctum. And its magnificent looming space was to conjure the mystery of the cosmos. (All stuff I imagine you know, but it's worth repeating when looking at a shot this tantalizing.) The tracery you captured makes these tiny little enclaves and cloisters, little buildings and porticos, surrounding all this human statuary. You got a real swath of the place, Claude, and it's a pleasure to see it in your gallery. And the figures on the right---sliding into the dark---really give us the sense of how the Medieval Christians wanted to fill their churches with the whole of Christian history. A full capture, with lots of light and dark...and that would've made the Gothic-ers very, very happy. Also, I didn't know it'd been rebuilt so many times: I appreciate the historical info...(Can you imagine living in this space? Telling people on the phone, "no, no parties this month---we're renovating...")

Breath taking architecture to say the least. Thanks for sharing ~

Oh, I know just who this is. It's the "Impressive Clergyman" from Princess Bride. "Mawwage. Mawwage is wot bwings us togevvaw today."

I think you're right, Tara! By coincidence, I was at lunch with a bunch of friends today & while discussing films we all enjoyed, "Princess Bride" came up as one that was unanimously approved...

LOL @ Tara! This is lovely, what an intricately carved stone piece. Ah, the days of workmanship!

Impressive image, your choice of sepia tone worked fantastic!

Fantastic details in this old piece of artwork!