Notre-Dame fire inspires sadness and solidarity Notre-Dame de Paris (meaning “Our Lady of Paris”), referred to simply as Notre-Dame, is a medieval Catholic cathedral on the Île de la Cité in the 4th arrondissement of Paris. The cathedral is consecrated to the Virgin Mary and considered to be one of the finest examples of French Gothic architecture. The cathedral’s construction was begun in 1160 under Bishop Maurice de Sully and was largely complete by 1260, though it was modified frequently in the following centuries. The cathedral is one of the most widely recognized symbols of the city of Paris and the French nation. As the cathedral of the Archdiocese of Paris, Notre-Dame contains the cathedra of the Archbishop of Paris (Michel Aupetit). In 1805, Notre-Dame was given the honorary status of a minor basilica. Approximately 12 million people visit Notre-Dame annually, making it the most visited monument in Paris. The cathedral is renowned for its Lent sermons founded by the famous DominicanJean-Baptiste Henri Lacordaire in the 1860s. In recent years, an increasing number have been given by leading public figures and state employed academics. While undergoing renovation and restoration, the roof of Notre-Dame caught fire on the evening of 15 April 2019. Burning for around 15 hours, the cathedral sustained serious damage, including the destruction of the flèche (the timber spire over the crossing) and most of the lead-covered wooden roof above the stone vaulted ceiling. This tragic fire at Notre-Dame, as one of the world’s cultural heritage, attract waves of sympathy from international artists around the world, including me as a poster artist. We all watched in shock and were horrified at the fire that hit Notre-Dame Cathedral. We are very sad about this tragedy. We are sending all of our support and our sympathy to the people of Paris and all those who are actively working to preserve its art and architecture. Inspired by the incident, and to join in the international poster campaign activities that expressed sympathy to the people of Paris and the world, I have chosen and presented the strix statue, which is a famous statue that was installed on the western facade of the Notre Dame building, as the main visual of the poster. Strix is presented in a condition of sadness and crying. It’s personified as a creature which weeps for their “beloved lady”. And the typography of this poster headline is made in the style of a blazing fire.
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