West Façade of Reims Cathedral
David Roberts, c. 1825–1830
Reims' west front in procession light. Roberts gives the French crown of Gothic its daylight due.
About this work
The Façade of Reims Cathedral with a Medieval Procession is an oil by the Scottish painter David Roberts, dated between 1825 and 1838 and now in the Musée des Beaux-Arts in Reims. The great Gothic west front rises in the center of the square, while a procession moves through a dense crowd below. Dignitaries watch from a stand at the right, armoured horsemen gather at the left beside half-timbered houses, and a massive tower looms in the background. Reims Cathedral was the traditional place where the kings of France were crowned, a tradition that goes back to the baptism of the Frankish king Clovis by Saint Remigius around 496. It is considered one of the most important works of Gothic architecture and has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1991. Roberts, born in 1796, began as a house painter and theatre scene painter in Edinburgh before turning to architectural views. He travelled in Spain in 1832–33 and is best known for his later lithographs of Egypt and the Holy Land. The canvas, 131.4 by 99.6 cm, was bought by the Reims museum in the 1980s (inventory 986.17.1).
Sources: Musées de Reims: La Façade de la Cathédrale de Reims avec une procession médiévale · Wikimedia Commons: David Roberts, La façade de la Cathédrale de Reims · Wikipedia: Reims Cathedral · Wikipedia: David Roberts (painter)
Print facts
- Native resolution
- 4,530 × 5,980 px
- Sharp at 150 ppi up to
- 30 × 39 in
- Sizes
- Small (15 × 20 in) · $100 · 299 ppi
Medium (18 × 24 in) · $150 · 249 ppi
Large (27 × 36 in) · $300 · 166 ppi - Price includes
- Frame and US shipping · 14–21 days · 30-day returns
FAQ
Where can I buy a framed print of West Façade of Reims Cathedral?
Here. West Façade of Reims Cathedral is available as a framed print in three sizes: Small (15 × 20 in) for $100, Medium (18 × 24 in) for $150 and Large (27 × 36 in) for $300. Prices include the frame and US shipping; delivery takes 14–21 days, with 30-day returns.
What size works best for West Façade of Reims Cathedral?
The file is 4,530 × 5,980 px, so every size is sharp: even Large (27 × 36 in) prints at 166 ppi. Choose Large (27 × 36 in) for a large wall; Small (15 × 20 in) suits a narrower space.
Is it legal to print West Façade of Reims Cathedral?
Yes, with credit. David Roberts died in 1864 and the painting is in the public domain; in the United States a faithful photograph of a public-domain painting does not create a new copyright (Bridgeman v. Corel, 1999). The photograph we print, by Christian Devleeschauwer for the Musée des Beaux-Arts de Reims, is also published under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 France licence, so we credit the photographer and the museum on this page.
