Statue of the Virgin, Notre Dame de Paris

About the Artwork

Around 1853, Auguste Mestral was commissioned by sculptor and metalsmith Adolphe-Victor Geoffroy-Dechaume to photograph sculptures he was carving for the Cathedral of Notre Dame. They were intended to replace ones that had been damaged by weather or during the Revolution. It is believed that this photograph was at one point owned by Eugène Viollet-le-Duc, the architect heading the church’s restoration. This sculpture now stands in front of the rose window on the west (main) facade of the church.

Inscriptions

Written in pencil on recto: "G8" Written in pencil on verso: "I-2003-003515/3"

Provenance

Collection of Eugène Viollet-le-Duc, the 19th century French architect who was in charge of the restoration of Notre Dame.

Quick Overview

Artist: Auguste Mestral (French, 1812–1884)
Date: 1853
Medium: salted paper print from paper negative
Dimensions: Image: 35.2 x 25.8 cm (13 7/8 x 10 3/16 in.); Matted: 61 x 50.8 cm (24 x 20 in.)
Type: Photograph
Classification: Photograph
Department: Photography
Credit line: Andrew R. and Martha Holden Jennings Fund
Accession no.: 2007.12

More by Auguste Mestral in museum collections

[Sculpture of Virgin and Child, Notre Dame, Paris]
Auguste Mestral
1853–1854 · Photograph
Public collection via the Metropolitan Museum of ArtAT-00025592
[Angel of the Passion, Sainte-Chapelle, Paris]
Auguste Mestral
1853–1854 · Photograph
Public collection via the Metropolitan Museum of ArtAT-00025599

Data retrieved from the Cleveland Museum of Art on October 8, 2026. The museum may have updated its record since.