A sea of steps

Frederick Evans dedicated much of his time as a professional photographer to the documentation of architecture. In this pursuit he advanced the idea of a 'pure' (i.e. not retouched) photography. Adamant that great buildings, in particular cathedrals, could be photographed with a sense of transcendence, Evans spent days noting changes in light and atmosphere. 'A sea of steps' encapsulates many of his aesthetic concerns. The steps softly lit yet clearly articulated, cascade down and across the picture in a visual tension that ultimately leads the eye to the illuminated archway.

In writing about 'A sea of steps' in 1903 Evans noted:

The beautiful curve of the steps on the right is for all the world like the surge of a great wave that will presently break and subside into smaller ones like those at the top of the picture. It is one of the most imaginative lines it has been my good fortune to try and depict; this superb mounting of the steps…