Victor Hugo’s novel has forever colored the view that barefoot French photographer Va-nu-pieds has of Notre Dame Cathedral. He share a glimpse of that view with us.
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Victor Hugo’s novel has forever colored my vision of the cathedral Notre Dame de Paris. Soon after reading it, I gave Anthony Quinn and Gina Lollobrigida a permanent place among the statuettes there. Nowadays, curiously enough, I rarely turn my head to look at the façade when I go by the square; the view probably isn’t open enough.
But when I cross the Seine on the bridges behind Notre Dame, by the Pont des Tournelles or the Pont d’Austerlitz, my eyes always seek out that familiar silhouette in this panoramic format. And I never tire of the spectacle of tourists taking each other’s picture in the gardens alongside the cathedral, the Jardins de l’Archevêché.
Le roman de Victor Hugo a définitivement marqué ma vision de la cathédrale Notre Dame de Paris. Peu après, j’y ai placé Anthony Quinn et Gina Lollobrigida comme des figurines éternelles. Aujourd’hui curieusement, je tourne rarement la tête pour voir la façade quand je passe près du parvis : la vue n’est sans doute pas assez dégagée. Mais quand je traverse la Seine par le pont des Tournelles ou le pont d’Austerlitz, mes yeux cherchent toujours cette silhouette familière dans ce format panoramique. Et je ne me lasse pas du spectacle des touristes se photographiant dans les jardins de l’Archevêché.
Notre-Dame’s backside is more expressive than her front. When I see it from the Pont d’Austerlitz I imagine the sense of awe of medieval travelers arriving from the east and coming upon a distant view of the massive cathedral and excitement of the big city. The second picture captures the ominous thrill of entering that city.
I love the form of the first picture and get a kick out of the thought that you’re waving to tourists on the Bateau-mouche with your foot just as, when standing on a bridge, we often wave with a hand to people passing on a boat below.