Any mention of Touraine generally calls up before us the picture of a
smiling country through which rolls the lazy Loire hemmed in by its
sandy banks, with every now and again the vision of a charming chateau,
type of the best mediaeval architecture. To the glass lover, however, the
chief and almost the only attraction of the province is the cathedral at
Tours (see page 51). We say "almost," because although not generally
known and but seldom visited by the tourist, Touraine has another glass
shrine lying within a few kilometres of the Chateau de Chinon. The
chapel in which we find this glass was formerly part of the Chateau of
Champigny-sur-Veude, but the chapel alone remains. Before we enter, the
writer wishes to deliver himself of a partial explanation or apology,
and he does so for the following reason: he has all along inveighed
bitterly against the curse of donors' figures upon windows, but on this
occasion he must frankly admit that he is guilty of taking you to see
glass of which a most interesting feature is these very representations
of the donors. In fact the chapel has a peculiar value because it
contains thirty-six portraits of the Bourbon-Montpensier family. They
are to be found along the lowest panels, each one kneeling before a
prie-dieu. The chapel is admirably lighted, partly due to the
destruction of the old chateau, but chiefly to the eleven large windows,
each seven by three and a half metres. The same scheme of decoration
prevails throughout. Lowest down we find the kneeling donors; above them
and occupying far more space are historical episodes from the life of
Louis IX, of peculiar interest to us, his humble followers in the love
of stained glass. Among the most interesting of these glass pictures may
be cited one showing a battle with the Saracens in the Holy Land,
several portraying ships filled with armoured knights, and particularly
the episode of St. Louis dedicating the Ste. Chapelle at Paris. Above
these in the roomy oval traceries are scenes from the Passion. Highest
of all are small panes containing either a capital L with a crown
slipped down around it, or a bird's wing similarly encircled by a crown,
referring respectively to King Louis and the Bourbons. The only
variation from the regularity of this general scheme is the east window,
which shows the creation of the world and has below it Christ between
the two thieves. The fact that this chapel is to-day completely glazed
in its original glass and that there is a thorough coherence of style
throughout, would alone serve to repay us for the long trip from Paris;
but when we add the fact that this is a Bourbon portrait gallery, an
historical interest is at once added to its other attractions. These
arguments in its favour will keep us from observing too keenly how much
the crudeness of some of the colours accentuates the dullness of others.
It would be better if the greens could be softened and the greys
enlivened. Lest we may seem by thus criticising the glass to wish to
disparage it, we make haste to urge our reader to visit Champigny. He
will find ample compensation for its isolation from other glass of its
century by the many chateaux which make a trip through Touraine so
enjoyable.
[Illustration: DEDICATION OF PARIS STE. CHAPELLE AT
CHAMPIGNY-SUR-VEUDE.
_Panel containing kneeling donors not shown. 16th century glass
picture of a 13th century event. (See page 26)._]