Notre Dame

Pieter Dupont was a painter, draftsman, and printmaker who is closely identified with his gritty representations of workhorses. This drawing of Notre Dame Cathedral, perhaps executed during his time in Paris, shows his extraordinary range in terms of handling. He uses the chalk and pastel with great confidence, suggesting the heavy stone of the structure as well as the impossible delicacy of the carvings covering the entire façade. The detail of candlelight emanating from the open door adds just a hint of human presence to the otherwise solitary scene.