Notre-Dame is the heart of Paris, it has a history of restoration which this etching portrays.

In 1160, the Romanesque cathedral that stood on the site was demolished so that a new Gothic structure could be built reusing many of the same stones. Construction began in 1163 with King Louis VII and Pope Alexander III presiding at the laying of the cornerstone. The choir and ambulatories at the east end were completed in 1177 and the high altar was consecrated in 1182. The second wave of construction commenced in 1182; work on the nave, west facade, and the shallow bays serving as transepts was largely completed by 1250. In the 13th century, through the use of flying buttresses, the walls of the nave and choir were raised higher and made thinner so they could be punctuated with brilliantly colored stained-glass windows. Construction on the cathedral was completed in 1345.

Notre-Dame survived various uprisings and wars over the centuries, including the French Revolution, although sculptures decorating the façade were vandalized. By the early decades of the 19th century, the edifice was in poor condition and restoration was authorized by King Louis-Philippe. The commission was awarded to Eugène Viollet-le-Duc and Jean-Baptiste Lassus, who restored and recreated Notre-Dame in a more romantic Gothic ideal popular in the 19th century. One of their most notable additions was a new spire, one that was taller and enhanced with figures of the apostles and evangelists, to replace the old one removed in the 18th century. They also added many of the gargoyles that are so popular with viewers today.