In Reverence for Craft
Portraits from the Palais Garnier
Two words to describe our first visit to the Palais Garnier last year: awe and overwhelm. Then an unknown young architect named Charles Garnier, conceived his neo-baroque design and won the prestigious commission through a competition—part of Emperor Napoleon III’s grand plan to reconstruct Paris into a global capital of art and culture.
The stylistic fusion of various art periods confused Empress Eugénie at first for which Garnier famously responded, “The building is in Napoleon III style.”
The project took fifteen years to complete.
Every inch of the space is steeped in ornament. It’s maximalism at full tilt. When it debuted in 1875, Mr. Garnier, through his collaborations and friendships with painters, sculptors, and an army of craftspersons, sealed his legacy and set the bar for what other opera houses around the world could aspire to.
After walking through every floor of the opera house, we settled onto one of the couches to rest our feet and our eyes. That’s when I first noticed the busts placed at intervals along the circular corridor. What drew me in was the realism: the sculpted fabric folds, the delicate lace details, the lapels and buttons, all rendered with remarkable precision.
I was nineteen when I first encountered Michelangelo’s Pietà at St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome. I was in awe of the way he sculpted the folds of Mary’s robes and the lifelike anatomy of Christ—bones, muscles, and veins. That memory resurfaced as I gazed at these busts.
Recalling Hiroshi Sugimoto’s portraits of wax figures, I took inspiration from him and created these portraits— not to showcase the prominence of the subjects, but a quiet nod and recognition to the sculptors’ enduring craftsmanship. The framing is intentional: the faces are cropped from the nose down, drawing focus to the intricacies and detail of the clothing and accessories.
It is not grandeur that is celebrated, but granularity.
It’s not about power or prominence but a reverence for craft.
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I am intrigued by the attention to the fabric. It is as you say amazing that in stone you can create the feel of softness and texture that some decadent dandy wore then. What a great way to photograph.... Forget the face, which otherwise takes all the attention. Focus on the skill in the dress. Amazing that in so many cases, the Master did the face and hands, and the assistants the rest. Some anonymous 20 year old. Fabulous.
The photos of the busts took my breath away.