THE TRANSEPTS AND THE CHOIR.
The austere character of the nave emphasises the splendid decorations
of the eastern parts. No massive screen prevents our seeing the church
from the great entrance to the apse. The fact that the choir is open
possibly lessens our sense of mystery and of awe, but we are more than
compensated by the splendid view of the building from end to end.
The irritating custom of railing off the eastern limb of the church
and demanding a fee for admission happily does not obtain at Notre
Dame. It is all but universal in England, and renders an intelligent
appreciation of the architectural history of our great churches a
matter of some difficulty. At Paris one may wander where one will,
so long as one does not interrupt the offices. That pompous and
irresponsible chatterer the cathedral verger does not impose himself
upon us, and disturb our study and diminish our pleasure, as he does in
churches on this side the Channel. Only the Sacristy need be visited in
the company of an official.
The transepts of French cathedrals are rarely such important features
as they are in those of this country. The vast church of Bourges has no
transepts at all. At Noyon, as at Paris, the transepts have no aisles.
Of the crossing and transepts at Paris Viollet-le-Duc and Guilhermy
write as follows:
“At the four angles of the crossing, massive piers, some covered with
combined pilasters, others with clustered columns, rise without a break
from the ground to the vaulting. The two transepts at the outset were
only of two bays similar to those of the nave. They were lengthened
by a shallower bay when the façades were rebuilt. The later bays are
easily distinguished from the four older ones. Thin round vaulting-ribs
cross at a crown deeper and more pronounced than those of the older
parts. The north and south doors are set in a rich arcading, of which
the divisions and the tympanums can be compared to nothing more fitly
than a large window with mullions. In the south transept, statues more
or less mutilated, representing Christ and the saints, remain at the
points of the gables. In describing the exterior of the façades we
pointed out the open gallery which extends the whole breadth of each
transept, and the great rose window a little above it. The exterior
arcading of the gallery is repeated by a similar arcading inside.
There is a passage between the two rows of little columns, and there
is another above this. The effect of the rose windows in the interior,
with glowing stained glass in all their compartments, recalls the
marvellous descriptions that Dante has given us of the circles of
Paradise. The incomparable splendour alternately astonishes and
enchants us. To decorate the side walls of his bays, Jean de Chelles
continued the arcading and the mullioned windows.”
The vaulting and the rose of the south transept were repaired between
the years 1725 and 1728 by Boffrand, the king’s architect, at the
expense of Cardinal de Noailles. The pair of arches leading to the
choir aisles with their elaborate crocketed canopies are somewhat
feebly contrived in both transepts. The clustered shafts are clumsily
arranged. The details on the north side differ from those on the south.
On the east and west sides of both transepts there are two narrow bays
of the triforium. The clerestory consists of short pointed windows
with wheel windows beneath them. This is due to Viollet-le-Duc, and
is intended to show us the arrangement which obtained throughout the
church previous to the alterations which resulted from the fire in the
thirteenth century.[12]
[Footnote 12: In his “Paris” (London, Edward Arnold, 1900), Mr. Hilaire
Belloc thus refers to the fire of 1218: “In 1218 a happy accident gave
us the incomparable unity which the Cathedral alone possesses among
mediæval monuments; for in that year, on the eve of the Assumption,
four inspired thieves climbed into the roof-tree and warily let down
ropes with slip-knots to lasso the silver candlesticks on the altar.
These they snared, but as they pulled them up the lights set fire to
the hangings that were stretched for the feasts, and the fire spread to
the whole choir.” The writer gives no authority for this story.]
[Illustration: _Photo_] [_Ed. Hautecœur, Paris._
THE NORTH TRANSEPT.]
At the angle of the south transept in front of the great south-east
pier of the crossing is the famous statue of the =Virgin and
Child=, which, in Notre Dame, occupies a place not unlike the far
more famous and more venerable statue of S. Peter in the vast basilica
which at Rome is dedicated to him. Mr. Belloc has used a photograph of
it as the frontispiece to the volume quoted in the footnote, and he
writes of it as follows: “But of all the additions to the interior of
Notre Dame which popular fancy or the traditions of some crisis give
it, none is more worthy of being known than that which alone survives
of them, and which I have made the frontispiece of this book. It is not
that the statue has--as so much of the fourteenth century can boast--a
peculiar beauty; it is indeed (when seen from below, as it was meant
to be) full of a delicacy that the time was adding to the severity of
the thirteenth century; it has from that standpoint a very graceful
gesture; the exaggeration of the forehead disappears, the features
show the delicate and elusive smile that the fourteenth century always
gave to its Madonnas, and there appears also in its general attitude
the gentle inclination of courtesy and attention that was also a
peculiar mark of a statuary which was just escaping the rigidity of
Early Gothic. But its beauty, slight and ill-defined, is not, I repeat,
the interest of the statue. It is because this image dates from the
awakening of the capital to its position in France, because it is the
symbol of Paris, that it rises up alone, as you may see it now, where
the southern transept comes into the nave,[13] all lit with candles
and standing out against the blue and the lilies. It is a kind of core
and centre to the city, and is, as it were, the genius catching up the
spirit of the wars, and giving the generation of the last siege and
reconstruction, as it will give on in the future to others in newer
trials, a figure in which all the personality of the place is stored
up and remembered. It was made just at the outbreak of the Hundred
Years’ War, it received the devotion of Etienne Marcel, it heard the
outcry that followed the defeat of Poictiers and the captivity of the
king.” Mr. Belloc concludes: “It has been for these five hundred years
and more the middle thing, carrying with full meaning the name ‘Our
Lady of Paris,’ which seems to spread out from it to the Church, and
to overhang like an influence the whole city, so that one might wonder
sometimes as one looked at it whether it was not the figure of Paris
itself one saw.”
[Footnote 13: See p. 70.]
In front of the statue is an iron grille terminating in spikes for
candles. After Poitiers, the citizens of Paris annually offered a
gigantic candle to be burned in front of this statue in order that the
ills which afflicted France might cease. It was of the exact length of
the walls of the capital itself, and was of course coiled up ropewise.
The first presentation was made on August 14th, 1437. The candle
necessarily grew with every increase in the area of the city. By the
beginning of the seventeenth century it was felt that the limits of
vastness had been reached, and in 1605 a silver lamp, which was always
to burn before the statue, was presented instead of the candle. This
was destroyed by the Revolutionists. On the pillar below the statue is
a sculpture said to represent Eve with the serpent’s tail. The identity
of the existing statue with the original one so eloquently described
by Mr. Belloc has been doubted, but the grounds for doubt appear to be
small. In this transept are two marble slabs in memory of seventy-five
victims of the Commune.
The place on the north side, corresponding with the statue of
Notre-Dame de Paris on the south, is filled by a statue of St. Denis,
a fairly good work by Nicolas Coustou.[14] The splendid glass of the
great rose window in the south transept has in the main divisions of
its four circles the twelve apostles, and a host of bishops and saints
with symbols and palms, to whom angels bear golden crowns of glory. In
one of the small compartments St. Denis is represented carrying his
head, and in others are scenes from what is known as “les Combats des
Apôtres,” amongst them being the arrival of St. Matthew in the presence
of the King of Egypt, and the baptism of the King after his conversion
by the Apostle. The great rose window of the opposite transept is
devoted to scenes from the life of the Virgin. She is represented with
Christ in her arms, and is surrounded with an army of patriarchs,
judges, prophets, priests and kings, all of whom are related to the
Saviour by ties of blood or as His spiritual forerunners. The glass
includes curious representations of the Antichrist, decapitating
Enoch; and of the destruction of the Antichrist by the Almighty, who
appears in a cloud. The small rose or wheel windows in the sides of
the transepts have been filled with glass from designs by Steinheil.
The pavement of the transepts is of squares of black Bourbon
marble alternating with Dinan stone. Great attention was given by
Viollet-le-Duc to the polychromatic decoration of the transepts,
[Footnote 14: See p. 89.] but it cannot be said that he has been more
successful in these parts of the church than elsewhere. The effect
aimed at appears to have been that of tapestry with simple patterns;
indeed, of the whole it is said, “cette décoration forme, jusque sous
les roses, une sort de brillante tapisserie.” Some of the canopies are
of the most intricate patterns, but they would be better suited to
wood or metal work than to painting. The scheme includes a series of
paintings by Perrodin of persons distinguished in the history of the
diocese of Paris. The figures have elaborate decorative borders.
The removal of statues and memorials from the nave, which we have
already deplored, had just the shadow of a justification from the
purely æsthetic standpoint. Many of the monuments were incongruous,
some were positively grotesque. In Westminster Abbey we have an example
of the shocking effect of inappropriate statuary in a Gothic building;
we know, only too well, how terribly one of the most beautiful
interiors in the world suffers from a crowd of tombs which are out
of keeping with the very spirit of the place. By the removal of the
memorials at Notre Dame, the church has doubtless regained the aspect
intended by its designers.
The nave leads uninterruptedly to the choir, which ends in the high
altar; and the high altar, with the adjacent shrine of St. Marcel, was
the primary reason of the existence of the cathedral. We have seen that
in its earlier form little or no provision was made for chapels and
consequently for side altars. Everything was arranged to concentrate
the eye on the chief altar, and to lend dignity to its position. Its
sacred character was respected even in the far-off days in which the
body of the church was used for commercial purposes, or for festivals
the reverse of religious.
The great eastern limb of the church is raised above the transepts
by three steps. Once we have passed into the =Ambulatory=, or
_pourtour_, of the choir, we are in the most interesting part of the
building; for here our story is of historical monuments and decorative
objects still happily existing, and not an account of things which have
long since ceased to be. When we step into the ambulatory, we pass from
newer to older work, but we experience no violent transition from one
style to another. The style of the choir is, speaking generally, the
style of the whole church. The differences, interesting as they are
to the minute student of architectural development, are such as would
remain unnoticed by those who do not pretend to special knowledge.
This unity reminds one of an Italian Romanesque basilica rather than
a Gothic cathedral. Viollet-le-Duc has noted that the capitals in the
triforium of the choir seem to be earlier in date than those of the
main arcade beneath it; that if nothing were left save the capitals
of the two parts, one would conclude that those of the triforium were
earlier. This is manifestly impossible, but it shows that not the
smallest deviation of style was allowed in constructing the upper story.
Among the capitals of the columns in the choir there are a few
representations of animal life amongst the conventional foliage,
while the capitals in the nave represent foliage alone. The choir is
throughout a shade nearer Romanesque than the nave, but the difference
is so slight that only close examination reveals it. Already we have
remarked on the superiority of an apsidal termination to any other form
in a Gothic church. The ordered grandeur of Notre Dame is nowhere more
impressive than in the beautiful sweep of the apse with its spacious
ambulatory. It must have been even more imposing in its simplicity
before the construction of the side chapels was undertaken, although
we are far from regretting an addition which, though it may have
reduced the original dignity of the church, has added variety to it and
rendered it more interesting.
Let us begin our detailed examination of the choir and its chapels with
the famous =Screen= of sculptures by Jehan Ravy and his nephew
Jehan le Bouteiller, which we must study from the ambulatory. In his
_History of Sculpture_, Professor Wilhelm Lübke devotes considerable
space to this series in the chapter devoted to “Northern Sculpture
in the Late Gothic Epoch” (1300 to 1450). After stating that France
exhausted herself during the golden age of Gothic sculpture, and that
the period under discussion was so stormy as to be unfavourable to the
production of works of art, he writes of the screen as follows:
“One of the most important works of the epoch [the end of the
thirteenth and the beginning of the fourteenth centuries] are the
extensive reliefs which cover the choir screen in the interior of the
Cathedral of Paris. These are only the remains of the formerly far
richer plastic ornament which, in a great measure, fell a sacrifice
under Louis XIV. to a vain love of ostentation. The earlier series
on the north side contains a crowded representation in an unbroken
line of the History of Christ; from the Annunciation to the Prayer
at Gethsemane. These representations are vividly conceived, and the
style in which they are executed breathes the spirit of the thirteenth
century. Perhaps they belong to the end of that century or to the
beginning of the next. The reliefs on the south side are different in
many points. They continue the History of Christ; and, indeed, the
whole was so arranged that the cycle which began at the east passed
along the north side to the west end of the choir, and was continued
on the lectern,[15] where the Passion, Crucifixion and Resurrection
were depicted in front of the congregation, concluding at the south
side in a scene moving from west to east. Of the latter scenes, the
only ones now in existence are those which extend from the Meeting
of Christ as the Gardener with Mary Magdalen to the Farewell to the
Disciples after the Resurrection. The artist of these later scenes left
his name, in an inscription that has now disappeared,[16] as Jehan
Ravy, who for twenty-six years conducted the building of Notre Dame,
at the end of which time it was completed under his nephew Master
Jehan de Bouteiller, in 1351. Master Ravy evidently thought that he
could improve upon his predecessor’s work on the north side; for
while the latter had combined the scenes into one unbroken series, he
divided his into separate compartments by arcades, so that these later
representations, which are still in existence, are separated from each
other by small columns. In so doing he followed the general taste of
the century, which was inclined to exchange a picturesque character
for the calm epic relief of the former period. While, however, his
somewhat short figures are certainly superior in correctness to the
figures of the north side, owing to his understanding of the physical
structure and to the neatness of execution, there is in the figures
of the north side a fresher tone of feeling and more grace of action,
compared with which the far more constrained attitudes of the later
works form an unpleasing contrast, and even occasionally degenerate
into commonplaceness. Thus in these works, in spite of all expenditure
of artistic care, there is an unmistakable decline of creative power.”
[Footnote 15: The Rood-loft.]
[Footnote 16: This has been restored, and reads: “C’est maistre
Jehan Ravy maçon de Notre Dame par l’espace XXV ans qui commença
ces nouvelles histoires, et Jehan le Bouteiller son nepveu qui les
aparfaites en MCCCLI.”]
The series on the north side should be visited first. The scenes are
fourteen in number, and have reference to the Visitation:
The Shepherds and the Star of Bethlehem;
The Nativity;
The Visit of the Magi;
The Slaughter of the Innocents;
The Flight into Egypt;
The Presentation in the Temple;
Christ among the Doctors;
His Baptism;
The Marriage-Feast at Cana;
The Entry into Jerusalem;
The Last Supper;
Christ Washing the Feet of St. Peter;
The scene in the Garden of Olives.
The later works on the south side, in which Professor Lübke traces a
decline of creative force, represent:
The Meeting of Christ as the Gardener with Mary Magdalen;
The Holy Women (the Three Maries) Kissing the Saviour’s Feet;
Jesus appearing to the Apostles (who are represented in a
turreted building);
The Disciples of Emmaus, with Christ among them;
The Breaking of the Bread;
Another version of Christ Appearing to the Apostles;
The Doubt and the Conversion of St. Thomas;
The Miraculous Draught of Fishes;
Christ’s Message to the Apostles to Preach the Gospel to
all Nations.
It is extremely fortunate that these very interesting sculptures have
been left to us, for they constitute incomparably the most important
of the internal decorations at Notre Dame, which, as we have seen,
is relatively poor in the mediæval tombs which are the glory of
Westminster Abbey. While we are thankful for what is left, we cannot
help feeling a grudge against Cardinal de Noailles, who caused some of
the scenes to be removed, and thus left the series incomplete. That the
modern restoration of the painting of the sculpture was wise can hardly
be maintained.[17]
[Footnote 17: The fine collection of casts at the Crystal Palace
includes most of this series. It is a pity that they cannot be placed
in some more appropriate and convenient place.]
[Illustration: VIEW OF THE CHOIR AT THE END OF THE XIII. CENTURY,
SHOWING THE CARVED ROOD-SCREEN AND THE SHRINE OF
ST. MARCEL.
(_From Viollet-le-Duc._)]
For the moment we will leave the ambulatory, and consider the
=Choir and Sanctuary=. It will be interesting, before we examine
the present state of these parts, to sketch briefly their aspect in the
fourteenth century. Corrozet and De Breul have left us descriptions
which have been illustrated and elucidated by the indefatigable
Viollet-le-Duc. The entrance to the choir at the crossing was filled
by a magnificent screen of stone richly adorned with carving. This
was about eighteen feet high. The top formed the rood-loft, which was
approached by two circular staircases placed at either end of the
screen. In the centre was, of course, the entrance to the choir. When
the doors were open the high altar could be seen from the end of the
nave. Over this door was a decorated gable terminating in a great
crucifix. According to De Breul this crucifix was a masterpiece of
sculpture, as were the other statues which composed the group. The loft
was broad, and had on both sides an open stone parapet, on which were
placed carved lecterns. The west front of the screen had sculptured
scenes of the Passion, which formed part of the series by Jehan Ravy
and Jehan de Bouteiller lately described. On either side of the
doorway, beneath the sculptures, were small altars. The choir-stalls
of carved wood occupied much the same place as do those which we see
to-day. Between the rows of stalls were low tombs with recumbent
figures. The Sanctuary, approached by steps, was railed off, and filled
the apse. The space between the columns was filled by a screen with
carved scenes, which rose almost to the level of the bases of the
capitals. The altar was low, and of stone, and possessed a re-table on
which was placed a cross. Enclosing it on all sides, save that towards
the church, was a screen with hangings of tapestry. At the four corners
of this screen were tall figures of angels. Immediately behind the
altar, and towering over it, was the shrine of St. Marcel, a lofty open
structure of brass and other metals in two stages, ending in a gable at
the apex of which rose a crucifix.
On the first stage, so that it could be seen from all parts of the
choir, was the feretrum or reliquary of St. Marcel. This chief shrine
had on its side shrines of less importance, while, in the background
to the north, was the small altar of the Trinity, on which was placed
the reliquary of Notre Dame, containing portions of the dress and other
relics of the mother of Christ. A few fine tombs were also in the
sanctuary, and not far away was a bronze statue of Eudes de Sully. An
illustration, partly conjectural, of the choir and sanctuary in the
condition which I have attempted to describe from Viollet-le-Duc’s
_Dictionnaire_, is reproduced here. It will be seen that while the
furniture and ornament of this part of the church is sufficiently
splendid, it is nevertheless simple. There would be ample space for the
due performance of the great ceremonials which constantly took place.
Such was the appearance of the choir and sanctuary until Louis XIV., in
fulfilment of the vow of Louis XIII., who had dedicated himself and his
kingdom to the Virgin, began his transformation.
[Illustration: _Photo_] [_Ed. Hautecœur, Paris._
GRILLE AT ENTRANCE OF CHOIR.]
The =Choir= is raised above the body of the church by three steps,
and on the right and left hand is enclosed by a low _grille_ in
wrought iron with gilding. This rests on a stone foundation, and is
terminated towards the centre by two massive columns, on which
are hung the gates, which are of very beautiful design, representing
conventionalised foliage and flowers. At the top of the gate, in the
centre, is a foliated cross. The two bays on the south side of the
choir nearest the entrance have the same arrangement of a small pointed
window with a rose window beneath it, as exists in the side of the
transept immediately adjacent. The remaining windows are in the altered
and enlarged form, and the triforium of the choir is similar to, though
of earlier date than, that which runs round the nave.
[Illustration: _Photo_] [_Ed. Hautecœur, Paris._
THE CHOIR, LOOKING WEST.]
The =Stalls= occupy three bays on either side of the choir. The
erection of these stalls is part of the work undertaken by order of
Louis XIV. in accomplishment of his father’s vow, and it follows that
they are not in character with the architecture of the choir. It was
once proposed that for this reason new stalls of “Gothic” design should
take their place. There is little likelihood of this being done now.
Incongruity among things beautiful in themselves is by no means a
calamity, and we may fairly question alike the taste and the learning
of those who crave for uniformity at all cost. One is glad to think
that Viollet-le-Duc never for a moment contemplated the banishment of
these stalls, which are a particularly fine example of the best work
of which the craftsmen of the time were capable. The stalls have been
rearranged since they were first placed in the choir, and their number
has diminished. Originally there were one hundred and fourteen stalls;
now there are ten less. They are divided on each side into upper and
lower tiers, each tier having twenty-six seats. The carvings are the
work of Jean Nel and Louis Marteau, the designs being supplied by Jean
de Goulon. The designer and the executants have combined to produce a
really admirable piece of work, of which a full account is given in a
very careful monograph, published by Chouvet in Paris in 1855, entitled
_Album des Boiseries sculptées du Chœur de Notre Dame de Paris_. In
this volume the carvings are dealt with one by one, and their merits
intelligently discussed. At the back of the upper row of stalls are
eight large carved panels, which represent scenes in the life of the
Virgin. At the west end of the stalls are placed, opposite to one
another, the throne of the archbishop and a similar throne for the
dean of the chapter. These thrones or seats have elaborately-carved
canopies. The relief on the back of the chair or throne on the right
represents the cure of Childebert I. by St. Germain, Bishop of Paris.
On the opposite chair is represented in similar style the martyrdom of
St. Denis. Throughout the entire cathedral, in sculpture, in stained
glass, in carving, the Virgin is glorified, and next to her in honour
comes St. Denis. The stalls are lighted by lamps in metal brackets,
and the choir itself is illuminated by handsome candelabra similar to
those in the nave. In the second bay on the north side of the choir is
a small organ used in the daily offices.
Close by this organ the stones of the pavement are movable, and cover
the entrance of a small crypt. This is the principal subterranean
chamber of the cathedral, and it was constructed so recently as the
eighteenth century. It was set apart as the burial place of the
Archbishops of Paris, and is little more than a vault. Over the coffins
of those of the Archbishops who have been Cardinals are suspended their
red hats and tassels. The excavations for this little crypt led to a
discovery which was of great interest to archæologists. Amongst other
Roman remains was a small altar to Jupiter, which is now preserved in
the Cluny Museum. In _Paris à travers les Ages_ we read of a small
crypt below the Chapelle S. Anne, on the south side of the nave. Used
now as a coal cellar, it was formerly a burial place, as is attested
by the following inscription: “Cave pour les cercueils de plomb; cave
pour la sépulture des chanoines; caves pour la sépulture des musiciens,
enfants de Chœurs et officiers clercs.”
The pavement of the choir is of pieces of marble of various colours,
which together form a geometrical pattern. As one looks at it, one
laments the magnificent tombs with bronze effigies which were formerly
the glory of this part of the church.
[Illustration: _Photo_] [_Ed. Hautecœur, Paris._
THE CHOIR FROM THE SOUTH TRANSEPT.]
The =Sanctuary= is approached by four steps of Languedoc marble, and
three additional steps of the same material lead to the high altar.
The =High Altar= still retains most of the leading features of the
arrangement of Louis XIV. It was begun in 1699, and finished in 1714.
The pseudo-classical architecture by means of which the great pillars
of the apse were hidden has of course been swept away. The principal
group of sculpture, representing the Descent from the Cross, is
by Nicolas Coustou, who was born at Lyons in 1658. He was a pupil of
Coysevox, his uncle, who at that time was director of the Academy of
Painting and Sculpture at Paris. He obtained the _grand prix_, and went
to study at Rome, where he was profoundly influenced by the work of
Michael Angelo. Coustou’s output on his return to France was enormous.
The “Descent from the Cross,” at Notre Dame was doubtless inspired by
the famous group by Michael Angelo in St. Peter’s at Rome. It cannot
be said that Coustou has approached the greatest of the Italians in
the profundity of his pathos or in tragic solemnity, but the group at
Notre Dame is not without decided merit, although it leans towards the
melodramatic and artificial.
On one side of the altar is a kneeling statue of Louis XIII. by
Guillaume Coustou, and on the other a similar statue of Louis XIV.
by Antoine Coysevox. Guillaume Coustou was the younger brother of
Nicolas, and like him studied at Rome. He represents Louis XIII.
offering his crown and sceptre, which he holds in his hands, to the
Virgin. The statue of Louis XIV. suggests the accomplishment of his
father’s vow. Coysevox, from whose chisel it came, was the leading
French sculptor of his time. He was born at Lyons in 1640, and died
in 1720. The statues of angels bearing the instruments of the Passion
are by various sculptors. The angel with the crown of thorns and that
carrying the reed are by Corneille Van Clève. The angel with the nails
is by Claude Poirier; that with the sponge by Simon Hurtrelle; that
with the scroll by Laurent Magnier; and that with the lance by Anselme
Flamen. The bas-relief in bronze-gilt in front of the altar represents
the Entombment, and is by Van Clève. The cross and candelabra formerly
belonged to the cathedral of Arras. The lectern of sculptured bronze
is dated 1755, and has on its base the name of Duplessis, founder to
the King. A superb example of Gobelins tapestry, the gift of Napoleon
I., is used on great festivals to cover the floor of the sanctuary. The
pavement is partly in mosaic, and has a representation of the arms of
France.
The comparatively new stained glass of the choir and apse is not so bad
as one might expect. It is by Maréchal of Metz. The central window of
the apse is devoted to the Visitation. To the right are Eudes de Sully
and St. Marcel; St. Augustine and St. Jerome; St. Luke and St. John;
Daniel and Jeremiah; David and Abraham; St. George and St. Martin;
Charlemagne and Pope Leo. III.; and St. Hilaire and St. Irénée. To the
right the subjects are St. Denis and Maurice de Sully; St. Gregory and
St. Ambrose; St. Mark and St. Matthew; Ezekiel and Isaiah; Aaron and
Melchisedec; St. Stephen and St. Laurent, St. Louis and St. Gregory
VII., and St. Remi and St. Martin. The small rose windows of the
choir, like those of the transept, are filled with glass by Steinheil.
The choir, more perhaps than any other part of the cathedral, has
suffered from the wholesale destruction of glass which has already
been described. Visitors to the cathedral of Chartres can estimate the
value of mediæval glass in a Gothic cathedral. It is unfortunate that
the great windows of the clerestory at Paris were filled up before
the notable revival in the art of stained glass, which commenced in
England, and has now extended to France.
We must now return to the Ambulatory and the adjacent chapels. It is
in this part of the church that Viollet-le-Duc’s decorations are most
profuse, and it is not possible to consider them successful. It is
quite probable that no such scheme of decoration could be open to fewer
objections than that of Viollet-le-Duc. The truth is that the colour
confuses our appreciation of the fine lines of the architecture, and it
is frequently restless and irritating where it should be most reposeful.
=The Chapels of the Choir.= On the south side are the following
chapels:--
_Chapelle Saint-Denis._ The chief object of interest here is a statue,
by Auguste de Bay, of Archbishop Affre, who is represented at the
moment when he made his heroic appearance on the barricade of the
Faubourg Saint Antoine with an olive branch. This was on June 25th,
1848, during the Commune. The Archbishop was struck by a ball and
killed.
_Chapelle Sainte-Madeleine._ This chapel contains the grave of
the Papal nuncio Garibaldi, Archbishop of Myra, who died in 1853.
Archbishop Sibour, who was murdered in the church of St. Etienne du
Mont on Jan. 8th, 1857, by a priest, is commemorated by a kneeling
statue in marble by Dubois.
_Chapelle Saint-Guillaume._ The statue of the Virgin seated, with
the Child Jesus in her arms, is attributed to Bernini, who came from
Rome to Paris during the reign of Louis XIV. to make alterations and
additions to the Louvre. The Mausoleum of Henri-Charles d’Harcourt,
Lieutenant-general of the armies of the King, who died in 1769, is a
pretentious and theatrical work which was once highly esteemed. It is
by the sculptor Pigalle, and is of white marble. The widow who kneels
by the tomb and appears to be calling her husband is warned away by a
figure of Death. The genius of War is represented lamenting, and the
whole is completed by trophies of arms.
_Chapelle Saint-Georges._ Amongst the elaborate mural decorations of
this chapel is a picture by Steinheil of St. George and the Dragon.
The statue of Archbishop Darboy is by Bonnassieux. The prelate is
represented falling amidst the bullets of the Communists, whom he
blesses as he dies. This tragic incident took place in the prison
of La Roquette, on May 27th, 1871. Close by is a kneeling statue of
Archbishop Morlot (_d._ 1862) by Lescorné. The chapel also contains a
statue of St. George by the same artist.
The following are the chapels on the _north_ side of the choir:--
_La Chapelle de Notre Dame des Sept Douleurs_, or _La Chapelle du Petit
Chœur_. The bas-reliefs over the altar represent the angel appearing
to the Virgin Mary, the Descent from the Cross, and the Entombment.
The statue in wood of Notre Dame des Sept Douleurs is by Corbon. The
compositions, in six panels, by Perrodin, represent: Jesus bearing the
Cross; Christ on Calvary; the Descent from the Cross; the Communion of
the Virgin; and the Death of the Virgin. The nine carved wood stalls
are of the same period as those of the choir. They were possibly
part of the original series, which, as we have seen, was reduced in
number. At all events, the details indicate that the same designer
and craftsmen were employed on them. This chapel contains the only
important fragment of the original polychromatic decoration with which
the walls of the cathedral were anciently embellished. It consists of
a mural painting dating from the fourteenth century. In the centre is
represented the Virgin enthroned with the Child. To the right is St.
Denis, and on the left Bishop Simon Matiffas de Buci, who built the
three chapels on the left of the apse. Beneath the picture was formerly
the Bishop’s tomb. Below the representation of the Virgin and Child is
a curious design representing angels bearing away a human soul. This
painting was unfortunately restored by M. Maillot the elder, and has
consequently lost much of its antiquarian interest.
_Chapelle Saint-Marcel._ Pierre Deseine’s enormous monument to
Cardinal de Belloy fills a large part of this chapel. The cardinal is
represented giving alms to two orphan girls. St. Denis looks on, and
records the cardinal’s name on a list of the bishops of Paris noted
for their charity. Close by is the tomb, with reclining figure, of
Monseigneur de Quelen, by De Chaume. Amongst the mural decorations of
this chapel the chief is a large painting by Maillot the younger. The
subject is the “Translation of the relics of St. Marcel from the old
Church of St. Marie to the Church of Notre Dame by Bishop Eudes de
Sully.” The personages represented are portraits of the officials of
the diocese, and include Archbishop Darboy and the Abbé la Place. In
the vaulting is a design representing the Coronation of St. Marcel.
_Chapelle Saint-Louis._ This chapel has six statues in wood by Corbon,
representing Christ, the Virgin, St. John, St. Denis, St. Rustiguex,
and St. Eleutherius. The kneeling statue of Archbishop Louis-Antoine de
Noailles, who died in 1729, is by De Chaume.
_Chapelle Saint-Germain._ Tomb of Archbishop Leclerc de Juigné
(died 1811), a kneeling figure in relief. The tomb was repaired by
Viollet-le-Duc, who modified its original design.
_Chapelle Saint-Ferdinand._ Monument of Archbishop de Beaumont (died
1781), from designs by Viollet-le-Duc.
_Chapelle Saint-Martin._ Monument of Jean-Baptiste de Vardes, Comte
de Guébriant, Marshal of France, who died in 1643, and of his wife
Renée du Bec Crespin. A splendid service was celebrated in Notre Dame
on the Marshal’s death. His wife was sent to Poland as ambassadress
extraordinary, and died there in 1643, without being able to erect a
monument to her husband. The Marquis de Vardes erected the tomb, which
was practically destroyed during the Revolution. It was renewed from
designs by Viollet-le-Duc.
Behind the Sanctuary is the tomb with a jewelled effigy of Archbishop
Matiffas de Buci, who died in 1304. It was removed from La Chapelle
de Notre Dame des Sept Douleurs. In the arcading below the bas-reliefs
of Jehan Revy and Jean le Bouteiller are placed little brasses with
the names, arms, and date of the death of the persons whose remains
are buried at Notre Dame. A list of the most interesting of these has
already been given.
[Illustration: THE PLACE DU PARVIS IN 1650.
(_From an engraving by Van Merlen._)]