Wender·Vista
Reims Cathedral Coronation Facade
shown on ceramic, 12-inch tileFrance
in the chalk country east of Paris

Reims Cathedral Coronation Facade

a wall of saints, in the late light.

Where it lives

Not only on a wall.

A small tile on the nightstand catching the morning. A larger one above the fire. Yours, wherever you spend the slow hours.
Above the bench, in a warm oak surround.
Above the bench, in a warm oak surround.
Beside the kettle, propped on the counter.
Beside the kettle, propped on the counter.
Above the linens, in a slim black surround.
Above the linens, in a slim black surround.
On the nightstand, on a light oak stand.
On the nightstand, on a light oak stand.
On a picture ledge, where the light comes in.
On a picture ledge, where the light comes in.
a note from the studio

The west facade of Notre-Dame de Reims, where thirty-three kings of France were crowned. The cathedral the country built when it wanted to baptise its own beginnings. Joan of Arc brought Charles VII here in 1429. Clovis was baptised on this same ground in the late fifth century, by Bishop Remigius. The Smiling Angel on the left portal lost her head to a German shell in 1914; the head was found in the rubble and put back. She is still smiling. The facade faces west and catches the late light. It has been catching the late light for eight hundred years.

from the studio
shown in a slim black floating frame · 6 × 6 in
shown in a slim black floating frame · 6 × 6 in
— bring it home

Reims Cathedral Coronation Facade, on ceramic.

Each tile is finished by hand in our Knoxville studio. Artwork is slowly infused into the ceramic surface under high heat and pressure, and rests beneath a thin glossy finish. The colour lives in the surface, not on top of it.

What kind of piece?
One tile — square or rectangle.
How big?
the popular one — counter, shelf, nightstand
6 × 6 in · 15 cm · 1.6 lb
Surface finish
A clear glossy finish — the artwork reads as if under resin. Ideal for show-pieces and framed wall art.
How it sits
A hidden cleat — sits ¼″ proud of the wall.
$58
Hand-finished and shipped from our studio at the foot of the Smokies. On your wall in about ten days.
size
6 × 6 in
15 cm
weighs
1.6 lb
solid in the hand
surface
ceramic, hand-finished
art rests beneath a thin glossy finish
from
Knoxville, TN
our family studio, at the foot of the Smokies
— start a Coaster Set

Pick any four 4-inch tiles — National Parks you've been to, a Smokies set, the four seasons of one place. $ for a set of , cork-backed, ready to live on the table.

comes gift-ready
comes gift-ready

Each tile ships in a kraft box, tied with cream ribbon, with a handwritten note from the studio if you'd like to add one.

or build a grouping
or build a grouping

Three or five different vistas, hung together — a chapter of places you've been, or want to go.

about Reims Cathedral Coronation Facade

The place, in three passes.

A little of what's known, in case you fall down the rabbit hole — or want to go see it yourself.
the place

Notre-Dame de Reims stands at the centre of the city of Reims, the historic capital of Champagne, about 130 kilometres east-northeast of Paris in the Grand Est region. The cathedral occupies the site of a much earlier basilica where Clovis I, king of the Franks, was baptised by Bishop Remigius around the year 498. The present Gothic building was begun in 1211, after a fire destroyed the previous Romanesque cathedral, and was largely complete by 1275; the twin west towers were finished by 1481. Together with the adjoining Palace of Tau and the Basilica of Saint-Remi, Reims Cathedral has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1991.

the stone

The west facade is one of the most elaborate sculptural programs in High Gothic architecture, organised around three deep portals, a great rose window, and the Gallery of Kings, a row of fifty-six monumental statues of French kings set across the upper front of the building. Architectural historians count more than 2,300 figures over the cathedral as a whole. The left portal carries the Smiling Angel, l'Ange au Sourire, which has become a symbol of the city. The facade and its statuary were heavily damaged by German artillery fire in September 1914; restoration funded in part by John D. Rockefeller Jr. through the 1920s and 1930s reset many of the broken figures and put the Smiling Angel's head back where it belongs.

the visit

The cathedral is open to visitors free of charge most days, typically from 7:30 in the morning to 7:30 in the evening, with hours adjusted around services and the changing light of the seasons. The Palace of Tau, the former archbishop's residence next door, holds many of the original statues taken down from the facade for preservation, and is run as a national monument with a separate admission. A summer evening sound-and-light show projected onto the west facade, Régalia, runs from late June through early September, tracing eight hundred years of the building's history on the stone itself. The TGV from Paris Est reaches Reims in about forty-five minutes.

where
France · Reims, Marne, Grand Est
position
49.2536° N · 4.0339° E
the neighborhood

What's nearby.

A handful of named places within an hour's walk or short drive. Some we've already painted; some we will.
at the lake
Palace of Tau
Gothic palace
2 km S
Basilica of Saint-Remi
Romanesque basilica
15 km S
Montagne de Reims Regional Park
Champagne vineyards and forest
18 km SE
Faux de Verzy
twisted dwarf beech forest
N
Reims Cathedral Coronation Facade
Palace of Tau
Basilica of Saint-Remi
Montagne de Reims Regional Park
Faux de Verzy
common questions

What people ask.

A few questions we get about Reims Cathedral Coronation Facade — and about bringing the piece home.
about the place

Thirty-three kings of France were crowned at Notre-Dame de Reims, from Louis VIII in 1223 to Charles X in 1825. The tradition traced back to the baptism of Clovis I on this same ground around 498 AD by Bishop Remigius, which French kings considered the founding of Christian France.

L'Ange au Sourire is a 13th-century statue on the left portal of the west facade, one of the most photographed sculptures in Gothic art. A German artillery shell decapitated her in September 1914; the head was found in the rubble and restored to the figure in 1926.

Construction of the present Gothic cathedral began in 1211, replacing an earlier Romanesque building destroyed by fire. The main body was largely complete by 1275, and the twin west towers were finished by 1481. The site itself has held a cathedral since at least the 5th century.

Yes. Joan of Arc led the dauphin Charles VII to Reims for his coronation on 17 July 1429, in the middle of the Hundred Years' War. The coronation was the political climax of her military campaign and confirmed Charles as legitimate king of France.

On 19 September 1914, German artillery shells set fire to the wooden scaffolding around the cathedral. The roof and many sculptures were destroyed. Restoration funded in part by John D. Rockefeller Jr. ran through the 1920s and 1930s and reopened the cathedral in 1938.

The Gallery of Kings is a row of fifty-six monumental statues of French kings set across the upper west facade. The central figure, slightly larger than the rest, is Clovis I being baptised by Bishop Remigius. Most of the statues now in place are 19th and 20th-century replacements; the originals are kept in the Palace of Tau.

The cathedral is open daily without admission charge, typically from 7:30 in the morning to 7:30 in the evening, with hours adjusted around services. The neighbouring Palace of Tau, which holds the original facade statuary, charges a separate admission. The TGV from Paris Est reaches Reims in about forty-five minutes.

about the piece in your home

It's been a thoughtful piece for customers who studied in France, married into a French family, or hold a tie to Reims itself. The Coronation Facade carries French history in a way that resonates beyond decoration. The Small or Medium with a handwritten note from the studio sits well on a bookshelf or mantel.

The artwork's deep blues, ochres, and stained-glass jewel-tones land naturally in three rooms: a French Country interior with warm woods and linen; a Jewel-tone Maximalist library with leather, brass, and warm textiles; or a Dark Academia study with old books and oxblood walls.

Heritage-modern interiors, old-world architectural references softened by clean lines and warm neutrals, have been the leading direction in serious interior design through the mid-2020s. Gothic facades, ecclesiastical stained glass, and Old World stonework are core references for the style. A Medium or Large in a black wood frame anchors the look.

Above a standard sofa (about 7 feet wide), the single Large reads at scale; a 4-tile Mural fills the wall above more confidently. Over a console table, a Medium or Small holds its own without overwhelming the surface; a Triptych across a console reads as a hung altarpiece.

Yes. The ceramic surface is fully sealed and the colour is slowly infused into the tile under high heat and pressure, so it handles humidity and temperature swings. Order the Dura Satin finish (soft sheen, scratch-resistant) or Matte for bathrooms, showers, kitchen backsplashes, or any vertical installation.

A soft microfibre cloth and water handle everyday dust and fingerprints. For kitchen or bathroom installations with grease or hard-water spots, a drop of mild dish soap on the cloth is enough. Avoid abrasive pads, bleach, and ammonia-based cleaners; the surface does not need them.

Yes. Every WenderVista piece is painted in-house by Reid Wender, the studio's curator and eye. There is no licensing and no third-party catalog. The Coronation Facade tile exists because Reid chose the place and the angle. Each tile is hand-finished in Knoxville, Tennessee, at the foot of the Smoky Mountains.

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