Curatorial Narrative Andrew Fairbairn Affleck’s “Notre Dame” (1908) sits at the intersection of late 19th-century Romanticism and nascent Modernism, its linear brushwork and monochromatic palette evoking a sense of introspective contemplation. The artist’s decision to depict the iconic Gothic cathedral in grayscale serves as a deliberate nod to the intellectual rigor of his time, underscoring the notion that beauty can be distilled from the absence of color. As such, the painting assumes an almost archaeological quality, its atmospheric weight imbuing the scene with a sense of reverence. Upon enlargement to 44×49 inches, “Notre Dame” reveals itself as a masterful exercise in spatial rhythm and chromatic structure. The linear brushstrokes that initially seemed spare now appear as delicate lacework, their subtle variations in thickness and texture animating the canvas with a newfound dynamism. The monochromatic palette, meanwhile, a