‘The golden stain of time’: remembering the colours of Amiens Cathedral

Amiens Cathedral's faded polychromy, particularly the Vierge Dorée, played a significant role in Victorian literary constructions of Early French Gothic. This study reveals how these elements became symbols of the 'golden stain of time,' representing the fading colours and aesthetic richness of medieval architecture during an era of rapid industrial change. Victorian writers like John Ruskin and Arthur Symons were drawn to Amiens, not as their preferred Gothic site, but for its ability to evoke a sense of the past's vanishing beauty. The research analyzes literary works from 1856 to 1903, demonstrating how these authors interpreted and celebrated the cathedral's colours, influencing later interpretations, including Marcel Proust's.

Ribeyrol, C. (2020). ‘The golden stain of time’: remembering the colours of Amiens Cathedral. Word & Image, 36(1), 37–47. https://doi.org/10.1080/02666286.2019.1651996