[The custodians hurry you so rapidly through the reserved part of the church that it will be wellbefore entering the enclosureto glance through the succeeding notes, explanatory of what you are about to see. The remarks to be readas you go round the buildingI insert separately, in the briefest possible words, as aids to memory.The tomb ofLouis XII(d. 1515) and his wife, Anne de Bretagne (d. 1514), is the earliest of the great Renaissance tombs in France, and the first in order in this Basilica. Long believed to be of Italian workmanship, it is now known to be the production of Jean Juste of Tours, unknown otherwise, but supposed to be a Florentine. It is imitated from the Giangaleazzo Visconti, already mentioned, in the Certosa di Pavia. This tomb, the first you see, struck the keynote for such works of the Renaissance in France. It is a good and apparently French imitation of the Italian original, and it fitly marks Louis XII’s place in the artistic movement. Remember his statue by Lorenzo da Mugiano in the Louvre, and his connection with Cardinal d’Amboise and the Château de Gaillon.The next important monument is that ofDagobert I(d. 638), the founder of the Abbey, probably erected in his honour, as a sort of shrine, by St. Louis in the 13th cent. In order to understand this tomb (which you are only allowed to see across the whole breadth of the choir), it is necessary to know thelegendto which the mediæval sculptures on the canopy refer. When Dagobert died, demons tried to steal his soul; but he was rescued by St. Denis, to whom he had built this abbey, assisted by St. Maurice and St. Martin of Tours—a significant story, pointing the moral of how good a thing it is to found a monastery. The narrative is told in three stages, one above the other. (1) An anchorite, sleeping, is shown by St. Denis in a dream that the king’s soul is in danger; to theR, Dagobert stands in a little boat (like the boat of Charon); demons seize him and take off his crown. (2) The three saints come to the king’s rescue, attended by two angels, one swinging a censer, the other holding a vase of holy water; St.Martin and St. Denis see the tortured soul; the soldier St. Maurice, sword in hand, attacks the demons. (3) The three saints, attended by the angels, hold a sheet, on which the soul of Dagobert stands, praying. The Hand of God appears in a glory above, to lift him into heaven. These are on the canopy; beneath, on the tomb itself, lies a modern restored recumbent statue of Dagobert; there are also erect figures of his son Sigebert (restored), and his queen, Nantilde (original).The tomb ofHenri II(d. 1559) and his queen,Catherine de Médicis(d. 1589)—the third of any importance—was executed by the great sculptor, Germain Pilon, during the lifetime of the latter. (It was he, too, you will remember, who made the exquisite group of figures, now in the Louvre, to support the urn which was to contain their hearts.) As in many contemporary tombs, the king and queen are represented alive and kneeling, in bronze, above, and nude and dead in marble on the tomb below. (We saw a similar tomb at the Louvre.) Asecond monument, close by, to the same king and queen, has recumbent marble figures on a bronze couch,—Catherine is said in her devouter old age to have disapproved of the nudity of the figures on the first tomb—but as it was usual to distribute relics of French kings to various abbeys, such duplicate monuments were once common.The tomb ofFrédégonde(d. 597) from St. Germain-des-Prés, is a curious mosaic figure of marble and copper, almost unique in character. It isnotof the Queen’s own age, but was added to her shrine in the 12th century. Most of these early kings and queens, founders and benefactors of monasteries, were either actually canonized or were treated as saints by the monks whom they had benefited: and tombs in their honour were repaired or reedified after the Norman invasion and other misfortunes.Two monuments of thechildren of St. Louis, from other abbeys, carried first to Lenoir’s Museum, are now in this Basilica. They are of enamelled copper, withrepousséfigures, executed at Limoges.The most costly, though not to my mind the most beautiful, of the Renaissance tombs is that ofFrançois Ier(d. 1547). On the summit are kneeling figures of the King, his wife Claude,and their three children. The reliefs on the pedestal represent the battles of Marignano and Cerisole. This tomb, like that of Louis XII, is ultimately based on the Visconti monument in the Certosa, but it exhibits a much later and more refined development of French Renaissance sculpture than its predecessor. It is by Germain Pilon, Philibert Delorme, and (perhaps) Jean Goujon. The architectural plan is noble and severe: but it lacks the more naïve beauty of Jean Juste’s workmanship.It was the curious custom to treat the bodies of French Kings (who, as royal, were almost sacred) much as the relics of the Saints were treated. Hence the head and heart were often preserved separately and in different places from the body to which they belonged. François Ierhimself was interred here: but anurnto hold his heart was placed in the Abbaye des Hautes Bruyères, near Rambouillet. This urn is a fine Renaissance work by Pierre Bontemps. Taken to Lenoir’s Musée des Monuments at the Revolution, it was afterwards placed beside the king’s tomb in this Basilica.Look out in the Apse for the Altar of St. Denis, and his fellow-martyrs. Near it used once to hang the Oriflamme, that very sacred banner which was only removed when a King of France took the field in person. It was last used at Agincourt. A reproduction now represents it.The other monuments can be best observed by the brief notes given as we pass them. The arrangements for seeing them are quite as bad as those in our own cathedrals, and it is impossible to get near enough to examine them properly. Therefore,take your bearings from the Navebeforeyou enter, and try to understand the architecture of the choir as far as possible before you pass the barriers.Disregard the remarks made by the guide (who expects a tip), and read these brief notes for yourself as you pass the objects.]
[The custodians hurry you so rapidly through the reserved part of the church that it will be wellbefore entering the enclosureto glance through the succeeding notes, explanatory of what you are about to see. The remarks to be readas you go round the buildingI insert separately, in the briefest possible words, as aids to memory.
The tomb ofLouis XII(d. 1515) and his wife, Anne de Bretagne (d. 1514), is the earliest of the great Renaissance tombs in France, and the first in order in this Basilica. Long believed to be of Italian workmanship, it is now known to be the production of Jean Juste of Tours, unknown otherwise, but supposed to be a Florentine. It is imitated from the Giangaleazzo Visconti, already mentioned, in the Certosa di Pavia. This tomb, the first you see, struck the keynote for such works of the Renaissance in France. It is a good and apparently French imitation of the Italian original, and it fitly marks Louis XII’s place in the artistic movement. Remember his statue by Lorenzo da Mugiano in the Louvre, and his connection with Cardinal d’Amboise and the Château de Gaillon.
The next important monument is that ofDagobert I(d. 638), the founder of the Abbey, probably erected in his honour, as a sort of shrine, by St. Louis in the 13th cent. In order to understand this tomb (which you are only allowed to see across the whole breadth of the choir), it is necessary to know thelegendto which the mediæval sculptures on the canopy refer. When Dagobert died, demons tried to steal his soul; but he was rescued by St. Denis, to whom he had built this abbey, assisted by St. Maurice and St. Martin of Tours—a significant story, pointing the moral of how good a thing it is to found a monastery. The narrative is told in three stages, one above the other. (1) An anchorite, sleeping, is shown by St. Denis in a dream that the king’s soul is in danger; to theR, Dagobert stands in a little boat (like the boat of Charon); demons seize him and take off his crown. (2) The three saints come to the king’s rescue, attended by two angels, one swinging a censer, the other holding a vase of holy water; St.Martin and St. Denis see the tortured soul; the soldier St. Maurice, sword in hand, attacks the demons. (3) The three saints, attended by the angels, hold a sheet, on which the soul of Dagobert stands, praying. The Hand of God appears in a glory above, to lift him into heaven. These are on the canopy; beneath, on the tomb itself, lies a modern restored recumbent statue of Dagobert; there are also erect figures of his son Sigebert (restored), and his queen, Nantilde (original).
The tomb ofHenri II(d. 1559) and his queen,Catherine de Médicis(d. 1589)—the third of any importance—was executed by the great sculptor, Germain Pilon, during the lifetime of the latter. (It was he, too, you will remember, who made the exquisite group of figures, now in the Louvre, to support the urn which was to contain their hearts.) As in many contemporary tombs, the king and queen are represented alive and kneeling, in bronze, above, and nude and dead in marble on the tomb below. (We saw a similar tomb at the Louvre.) Asecond monument, close by, to the same king and queen, has recumbent marble figures on a bronze couch,—Catherine is said in her devouter old age to have disapproved of the nudity of the figures on the first tomb—but as it was usual to distribute relics of French kings to various abbeys, such duplicate monuments were once common.
The tomb ofFrédégonde(d. 597) from St. Germain-des-Prés, is a curious mosaic figure of marble and copper, almost unique in character. It isnotof the Queen’s own age, but was added to her shrine in the 12th century. Most of these early kings and queens, founders and benefactors of monasteries, were either actually canonized or were treated as saints by the monks whom they had benefited: and tombs in their honour were repaired or reedified after the Norman invasion and other misfortunes.
Two monuments of thechildren of St. Louis, from other abbeys, carried first to Lenoir’s Museum, are now in this Basilica. They are of enamelled copper, withrepousséfigures, executed at Limoges.
The most costly, though not to my mind the most beautiful, of the Renaissance tombs is that ofFrançois Ier(d. 1547). On the summit are kneeling figures of the King, his wife Claude,and their three children. The reliefs on the pedestal represent the battles of Marignano and Cerisole. This tomb, like that of Louis XII, is ultimately based on the Visconti monument in the Certosa, but it exhibits a much later and more refined development of French Renaissance sculpture than its predecessor. It is by Germain Pilon, Philibert Delorme, and (perhaps) Jean Goujon. The architectural plan is noble and severe: but it lacks the more naïve beauty of Jean Juste’s workmanship.
It was the curious custom to treat the bodies of French Kings (who, as royal, were almost sacred) much as the relics of the Saints were treated. Hence the head and heart were often preserved separately and in different places from the body to which they belonged. François Ierhimself was interred here: but anurnto hold his heart was placed in the Abbaye des Hautes Bruyères, near Rambouillet. This urn is a fine Renaissance work by Pierre Bontemps. Taken to Lenoir’s Musée des Monuments at the Revolution, it was afterwards placed beside the king’s tomb in this Basilica.
Look out in the Apse for the Altar of St. Denis, and his fellow-martyrs. Near it used once to hang the Oriflamme, that very sacred banner which was only removed when a King of France took the field in person. It was last used at Agincourt. A reproduction now represents it.
The other monuments can be best observed by the brief notes given as we pass them. The arrangements for seeing them are quite as bad as those in our own cathedrals, and it is impossible to get near enough to examine them properly. Therefore,take your bearings from the Navebeforeyou enter, and try to understand the architecture of the choir as far as possible before you pass the barriers.
Disregard the remarks made by the guide (who expects a tip), and read these brief notes for yourself as you pass the objects.]
Enter the enclosure.
North Aisle:L, several good mediæval recumbent tombs, mostly from other abbeys, named on placards. Read them.
Then,Tombs of the Family of St. Louis, recumbent, also named: 13th and 14th cents.
**Tomb of Louis XII, and his wife Anne de Bretagne, by Jean Juste of Tours. After the Certosa monument. Beneath, Twelve Apostles; four allegorical figures of Virtues: king and queen, in centre, recumbent; above, on canopy, king and queen kneeling. On base, reliefs of his Italian victories.
R, column commemorating Henri III, by Barthélemy Prieur.
Stand bystepsleading toraised Ambulatory, only point of view for**Tomb of Dagobert, on opposite side of choir, 13th cent. Legend of his soul, see above. Erect statues of Sigebert, his son, and Nantilde, his queen. Insist on time to view it with opera-glass.
L,**Tomb of Henry IIand Catherine de Médicis. King and queen recumbent, in marble, below; kneeling, in bronze, above. At corners, the four cardinal virtues, bronze. Also after Certosa.
Ascend steps to Ambulatory.
Below, monuments of the Valois family.
Above,L, second monument of Henri II and Catherine de Médicis, recumbent marble on bronze mattress. Observe monograms of H and D, as on Louvre.
Proceed round Ambulatory.Chapelsto theLhave stained-glass windows of 12th and 13th cents. Interesting subjects, which note in passing.**Beautifulview across the churchas you pass the transepts.
In the centre of theapseof the Choir (above the tombs in Crypt), is the Altar of St. Denis, with his fellow-martyrs, St. Rusticus and St Eleutherius—modern imitation of the original shrine, broken at the Revolution. During theneuvaine(nine days after St. Denis’ day—Oct. 9) the Reliquaries are exposed in the Nave, near the barrier. On one side of the Altar is a reproduction of the Oriflamme.
Beyond this Altar, continue along the South Side of the Ambulatory, to theSacristy. Modern paintings, here, relating to the History of the Abbey. Labels beneath describe their subjects.
Adjoining it is theTreasury, containing only uninteresting modern church utensils.
Beyond the Sacristy,Tomb of Frédégonde, from St. Germain-des-Prés. Hands, feet, and face probably once painted.
Descend steps from ambulatory.
Descend to Crypt.
This, the oldest portion of the existing building, was erected by Suger, to contain the Tombs of the Three Martyrs, buried under their altar. Its architecture is the most interesting of all in the Basilica. Notice the quaint Romanesque capitals of the columns. In the centre, bones of the Royal Family, within the grating. Neglect them, and observe the arches.
In theCrypt Chapels, uninteresting modern statues (Marie Antoinette, Louis XVI, colossal figures for the Monument of the Duc de Berry, etc.). Neglect these also, and observe rather the architecture andgood fragments of glassin windows, particularly a very naïve Roasting of St. Lawrence.
Return to church.
Monument of Du Guesclin, 1380.
Louis de Sancerre, 1402.
Renée de Longueville, from the Church of the Célestins.
Blanche and Jean, children of St. Louis, enamelled copper, Limoges; from other abbeys.
**François Ier, his wife, Claude, and their three children, above. On pedestal, Scenes from his battles; High Renaissance work: Philibert Delorme, Germain Pilon, and Jean Goujon. More stately, but less interesting than Louis XII.
**Urn, to contain heart of François Ier, from the nunnery of Hautes Bruyères.
Louis d’Orléans and Valentine of Milan, from the Church of the Célestins.
Charles d’Étampes; 1336, with 24 small figures of saints.
Leave the enclosure and return to the church. I advise you then to read this all over again, and finally, go round a second time, to complete the picture.
The Abbey and Church are closely bound up at every turn with French history. In Dagobert’s building, in 754, Pope Stephen II, flying from the Lombards, consecrated Charlemagne and his brother Carloman. In the existing Basilica, St. Louis took down the Oriflamme to set forth on his Crusade; and Joan of Arc hung up her armour as a votive offering after the siege of Orleans. But indeed, St. Denis played an importantpart in all great ceremonials down to the Revolution, and its name occurs on every page of old French history.
On your return to Paris, you may find this a convenient moment to visitSt. Vincent de Paul, which lies two minutes away from the Gare de Nord.
After visiting St. Denis the reader will probably find it desirable to examine certain objects from theTreasury of the Basilicanow preserved in theLouvre. They are mostly contained in the Galerie d’Apollon, in the glass case nearest the window which looks out upon the Seine. (Position of cases liable to alteration: if not here, look out for it elsewhere in the same room.) The most important of these objects is an antique Egyptian vase in porphyry, which Abbot Suger had mounted in the 12th cent. in a silver-gilt frame, as an eagle. It contains an inscription composed by the Abbot in Latin hexameters, and implying that it was to be used for the service of the altar. Near it is an antique Roman sardonyx vase, also mounted as a jug by Suger in the 12th cent., and from the same Treasury: its inscription says, “I, Suger, offer this vase to the Lord.” Also, another in rock-crystal, which has been similarly treated: it bears the name of Alienor d’Aquitaine: she gave it to Louis VII, who passed it on to Suger: a 12th cent. inscription on the base records these facts, as well as its dedication to Sts. Rusticus and Eleutherius. The same case contains a beautiful Carlovingian serpentine paten, which formed part of the treasure of Dagobert’s Abbey. Observe, close by, the beautiful silver-gilt Madonna, characteristic French work of the 14th cent., offered by Queen Jeanne d’Evreux to the Abbey of St. Denis, and bearing an easily-deciphered inscription in old French. Note that the Madonna in this royal offering carries in her hand the fleur-de-lis of France. Compare this work mentally with the other early French Madonnas we have already observed in the Mediæval Sculpture Room.
Among other objects in this same case observe the curious double cross, with cover and lid to contain it; where the inscription above the head of the inner cross indicates the natural origin of the doubling. Close inspection of this object willexplain to you many little points in others. Several similar Crucifixions, with Madonna and St. John and attendant angels, are in the same room: compare them with it. To theRis a good relief of the Maries at the Sepulchre; a double crucifix with St. John and the Madonna; and a reliquary fashioned to contain the arm of St. Louis of Toulouse. Most of these objects are sufficiently explained by the labels: the antique inscriptions, sometimes in Greek, are easily legible. (Beautiful view out of window toL.)
The examination of this case will form a point of departure for the visitor who cares to examine theminor art-worksin the Galerie d’Apollon and other rooms of the Louvre. I have left them till now, for the sake of the peg on which to hang them. I will therefore note here, in this connection, one or two other things which may assist the reader in the examination of the remainder, leaving him, as usual, to fill in the details of the scheme by personal observation and comparison of objects.
Walk down the centre of the Galerie d’Apollon, on the side towards the windows, passing the tawdry crown jewels, and the many exquisite Classical or Renaissance works in the cabinet beyond it, all of which you can afterwards examine at your leisure. (Some of the antique busts in precious stones come from Abbey Treasuries, where they were preserved and sanctified during the Middle Ages.) But in the last case save one, observe, near the centre, a very quaint little figure of St. Lawrence, lying comfortably on his gridiron, and holding in his hands a tiny reliquary, almost as big as himself—a finger with a nail on it, intended for the reception of a bone of the Saint’s own little finger. This odd little reliquary, French 14th cent., when compared with that for the arm of St. Louis of Toulouse, will help you to understand many similar reliquaries, both here and elsewhere. The martyr is put there as a mode of signifying the fact—“This is a bone of St. Lawrence.” Above it, note again five charming crosiers, containing respectively representations of the Madonna enthroned, the Annunciation, the Coronation of the Virgin, again the Annunciation, and a decorative design of great beauty. Note their date and place of origin on the labels. When once your attention has been called to the occurrence of such definite scenes in similarobjects, you will be able to recognise them at once for yourself in many like situations. In the Annunciation to theL, observe once more the very odd way in which the usual lily is carefully obtruded between the angel Gabriel and Our Lady. Some obvious barrier between the two was demanded by orthodoxy: here, the decorative device by which the difficulty has been surmounted is clever and effective. Between this crosier and that of the Coronation, look again at a queer little reliquary, held by the Madonna and Child, with a glass front for the exhibition of the relic. Another Madonna, close by to theL, similarly holds on her lap a charming little reliquary basin. The same case contains several coffers and reliquaries inchamplevéenamel, the most interesting of which is the Coffer of St. Louis, with decorative designs showing Romanesque tendencies. At the far end of the case, two charming silver-gilt angels, 14th cent., also bearing reliquaries. Examine in detail all the objects in this most interesting case. They will help, I hope, to throw light upon others which you will see elsewhere.
I do not intend to go at equal length through all the cases in this interesting room; but your visit to St. Denis ought now to have put you in a fit frame of mind for comprehending the meaning of most of these works by the light of the hints already given. I will only therefore call special attention to the beautiful decorative box, containing a book of the Gospels, in French enamel-work and jewellery of the 11th cent., in the last window on the right, before you reach the Rotonde d’Apollon. This valuable book-cover is also from the Abbey Treasury of St. Denis. It exhibits the usual Crucifixion, with the Madonna and St. John, and the adoring angels, together with figures of the symbols of the Evangelists, whose names are here conveniently attached to them. The next case, to theRof this one, also containschamplevéenamels of the 12th and 13th cents., all of which should similarly be examined. Note among them, to the extremeRin the case, a very quaint quatrefoil with St. Francis receiving the Stigmata; a subject with which you will already be familiar from Giotto’s treatment, and whose adaptation here to a decorative purpose is curious and enlightening. Next to it,L, a Death of the Virgin.Further on, two delicious little plaques—one, of Abraham and Melchisedech, with St. Luke—(Abraham, as soldier, being attired in the knightly costume of the Bayeux Tapestry); and the other of the Offering of Isaac, with St. Mark; two of a series of the Evangelists with Old Testament subjects. Above these, the Emperor Heraclius killing Chosroes, with cherubim. Still higher, a most exquisite Adoration of the Magi. Also Christ in Glory, in a mandorla, with the symbols of the Evangelists; and two closely similar Crucifixions, with a Madonna and St. John, and adoring angels. Compare these with the similar subject in the first case we visited. This frame also contains three charming saints in Byzantine style, a good St. Matthew, and a little King David holding a psalter. Do not leave one of the objects in this window unidentified and unexamined.
I notice all these decorative treatments here merely in order to suggest to the reader the way in which the knowledge he has gained of the fabric of St. Denis may be utilised to examine works of art from the great Abbey both here and at Cluny. You will find it useful to visit both collections on your return from such a church, in order to mentally replace in their proper surroundings works now divorced from it. Some other good objects from the same Treasury may also be seen at the Bibliothèque Nationale.
VIITHE OUTER RING, ETC.
[PARIS,outside the great Boulevardscomprises by far the larger part of the existing city. Nevertheless, it contains comparatively few objects of historical or artistic importance, being almost entirely modern and merely residential. Walks and drives in this part of Paris are pleasing, of course, as exhibiting the life of the great town, and they embrace many points of passing interest, such as the Trocadéro, the Champs Élysées, the Champ-de-Mars, the Place de l’Étoile, the Arc de Triomphe, the Parc Monceau, the church of the Sacré-Cœur on the height of Montmartre, etc., etc. Most of these the visitor will find out for himself. They do not need any explanation or elucidation.Among the very few objects of historical interest in this district, I would call special attention to theMaison de François Ier, on the Cours-la-Reine, at the first corner after you pass the Palais de l’Industrie. This beautiful little gem of domestic Renaissance architecture was erected for François Ierat Moret, near Fontainebleau, in 1527, probably as a gift for Diane de Poitiers, the mistress of Henri II, though it is also asserted that the king built it for his sister, Queen Margaret of Navarre. It was taken down in 1826, and rebuilt on the present site. The style recalls that of the Renaissance palaces of Venice. The delicate and beautiful decorative work of the pilasters, etc., and the dainty portrait medallions deserve inspection. Do not miss this charming little building, which should be compared with Jean Goujon’s portion of the Louvre, and with the Renaissance remains at the École des Beaux-Arts and elsewhere.A collection to which a few hours may be devoted, in the same connection, by those who have time, is theMusée Carnavalet,which lies, however,withinthe Boulevards. The building is a fine Renaissance mansion, once the residence of Madame de Sévigné. Many of the objects preserved here have a purely sentimental and to say the truth somewhat childish interest, consisting as they do of relics of the Great Revolution or other historical events, which derive whatever value they happen to possess from their sentimental connection only. But some of the objects have real artistic and historical importance; so have the decorations by Jean Goujon. When you have seen everything else enumerated here, you may give with advantage a Thursday morning to this somewhat scratch collection. The most important objects are those in the garden.For the Champs Élysées, the Arc de Triomphe, and the other buildings or promenades of wealthy, modern, western Paris, the guidance of Baedeker is amply sufficient.
[PARIS,outside the great Boulevardscomprises by far the larger part of the existing city. Nevertheless, it contains comparatively few objects of historical or artistic importance, being almost entirely modern and merely residential. Walks and drives in this part of Paris are pleasing, of course, as exhibiting the life of the great town, and they embrace many points of passing interest, such as the Trocadéro, the Champs Élysées, the Champ-de-Mars, the Place de l’Étoile, the Arc de Triomphe, the Parc Monceau, the church of the Sacré-Cœur on the height of Montmartre, etc., etc. Most of these the visitor will find out for himself. They do not need any explanation or elucidation.
Among the very few objects of historical interest in this district, I would call special attention to theMaison de François Ier, on the Cours-la-Reine, at the first corner after you pass the Palais de l’Industrie. This beautiful little gem of domestic Renaissance architecture was erected for François Ierat Moret, near Fontainebleau, in 1527, probably as a gift for Diane de Poitiers, the mistress of Henri II, though it is also asserted that the king built it for his sister, Queen Margaret of Navarre. It was taken down in 1826, and rebuilt on the present site. The style recalls that of the Renaissance palaces of Venice. The delicate and beautiful decorative work of the pilasters, etc., and the dainty portrait medallions deserve inspection. Do not miss this charming little building, which should be compared with Jean Goujon’s portion of the Louvre, and with the Renaissance remains at the École des Beaux-Arts and elsewhere.
A collection to which a few hours may be devoted, in the same connection, by those who have time, is theMusée Carnavalet,which lies, however,withinthe Boulevards. The building is a fine Renaissance mansion, once the residence of Madame de Sévigné. Many of the objects preserved here have a purely sentimental and to say the truth somewhat childish interest, consisting as they do of relics of the Great Revolution or other historical events, which derive whatever value they happen to possess from their sentimental connection only. But some of the objects have real artistic and historical importance; so have the decorations by Jean Goujon. When you have seen everything else enumerated here, you may give with advantage a Thursday morning to this somewhat scratch collection. The most important objects are those in the garden.
For the Champs Élysées, the Arc de Triomphe, and the other buildings or promenades of wealthy, modern, western Paris, the guidance of Baedeker is amply sufficient.
The buildings already enumerated and the objects noted in them form the most important sights in Paris, and are as many as the tourist is likely to find time for visiting during a stay of some weeks. If, however, he can add a few days to his sojourn, I give briefly some hints as to a list of other objects worthy his notice—taking it for granted, of course, that he will find his way to the Champs Élysées, the Bois de Boulogne, the theatres, etc., by the light of nature, not unaided by Baedeker. Amid the mass of information tendered in the ordinary Guides, the visitor scarcely knows how to distinguish the necessary from the optional. This short list may help him in his selection.
In the old region on the South Side (between the river and Cluny) are two churches worth inspection by the antiquarian: (1)St. Julien-le-Pauvre, the former chapel of the old Hôtel Dieu, which here occupied both banks, spreading to the spot now covered by the statue of Charlemagne; transitional; 12th cent.; and (2)St. Séverin, dedicated to two local Gallic saints, of the same name; good flamboyant Gothic; its interesting portal commemorates St. Martin, part of whose famous cloak was kept in a chapel here; thefaçadewas brought from St. Pierre-aux-Bœufs, on the Île de la Cité, demolishedin 1837; good modern reliefs on altar represent episodes in the lives of the two saints—St. Séverin the Abbot healing Clovis, and St. Séverin the Hermit ordaining St. Cloud. Altogether, a church to be visited and understood, rich in historic interest.
Among churches of the later period, thedomesand their development are worthy of study, as illustrating the ideal of the 17th and 18th cents. The earliest wasSt. Paul et St. Louis(originally Jesuit), 1627, with a massive and gaudy Louis XIV doorway; interior, florid and tawdry, after the Jesuit fashion. Next comes theSorbonne, 1635, interesting from its original connection with St. Louis (his confessor, Robert de Sorbon, founded the hostel, of which this is the far later church, for poor theological students); it is the first important dome, and contains an overrated monument to Richelieu by Lebrun, executed by Girardon. If you have plenty of time, you may visit it. Then theInvalides, 1705, now containing the tomb of Napoleon. Lastly, thePanthéon, already described. If visited in this order, they form an instructive series. Note the gradual increase in classicism, which culminates in theMadeleine. The earlier domes resemble those of the Rome of Bernini: the later grow more and more Grecian in their surroundings. TheInstitut(included here for its dome) andVal-de-Grâceare sufficiently inspected with a glance in passing.
The churches of the innermost Paris are mostly dedicated to local saints; those of the outer ring of Louis XIV to a somewhat wider circle of Catholic interest; among them,St. Roch, the famous plague-saint, deserves a visit; it is rococo and vulgar, but representative. The churches in the outer ring are of still broader dedication, often to newer saints of humanitarian or doctrinal importance. Among these quite modern buildings,St. Vincent-de-Paulranks first, on account of its magnificent frieze by Flandrin, running round the nave, and representing a procession of saints and martyrs, suggested by the mosaics in Sant’ Apollinare Nuovo at Ravenna; this the visitor should on no account omit; it lies near the Gare du Nord, and is a good example of the basilica style, successfully adapted to modern needs. Baedeker will here efficiently serve you. But, thoughartistically fine, Flandrin’s frescoes are not nearly so effective as the original mosaics in Theodoric’s basilica. The other great modern churches—St. Augustin, St. Ambroise, La Trinité, Notre-Dame-de-Lorette, Ste. Clotilde, etc.—need only be visited by those who have plenty of time, and who take an intelligent interest in contemporary Catholicism. But, if you can manage it, you should certainly mount the hill ofMontmartre, the most sacred site in Paris, both for the sake of the splendid view, for the memories of St. Denis (the common legend says, beheaded here; a variant asserts, buried for the first time before his translation to the Abbey of St. Denis), and for the interesting modern Byzantine-Romanesque pile of theSacré-Cœurwhich now approaches completion. Close by is the quaint old church of St. Pierre-de-Montmartre, and behind it a curious belated Calvary.
Those whom this book may have interested in church-lore will find very full details on all these subjects in Miss Beale’s “Churches of Paris.” Another useful book is Lonergan’s “Historic Churches of Paris.” With the key I have striven to give, and the aid of these works, the visitor should be able to unlock for himself the secrets of all the churches.
Two pretty little parks which deserve a passing visit are theParc Monceau, near the Ternes, and still more, theButtes Chaumont, in the heart of the poor district of La Villette and Belleville, showing well what can be done by gardening for the beautification of such squalid quarters. TheJardin d’Acclimatationin the Bois de Boulogne, and theJardin des Plantes, at the extreme east end of the South Side are both interesting, especially to the zoologist and botanist. The last-named is best reached by a pleasant trip on one of the river steamers.
Of collections, not here noted, the most important is theMusée Guimetof Oriental art, near the Trocadéro. It should be visited (if time permits) by all who are interested in Chinese, Japanese, and Indian products. TheTrocadéroitself contains a good collection of casts, valuable for the study of comparative plastic development; but they can only be used to effect by persons who can afford several days at least to study them (inother words, residents). The Ethnographical Museum in the same building is good, but need only detain those who have special knowledge in the subject.
To knowwhat to avoidis almost as important as to know what to visit. Under this category, I may say that no intelligent person need trouble himself about Père-Lachaise and the other cemeteries; the Catacombs; the various Halles or Markets; the interiors of the Conservatoire des Arts et Métiers (except so far as above indicated), the Bourse, the Banque de France, the Bibliothèque Nationale (unless, of course, he is a student and wishes to read there), the Archives, the Imprimerie Nationale, the various Courts and Public Offices, the Gobelins Manufactory, the Sèvres porcelain works, the Institut, the Mint, the Invalides, the Chamber of Deputies, the buildings in the Champ-de-Mars (except while the Salon there is open), the Observatory, and so forth. In Paris proper, I think I have enumerated above almost everything that calls for special notice from any save specialists.
ThreeExcursions from Parisare absolutely indispensable for any one who wishes to gain a clear idea of the France of the Renaissance and the succeeding epoch.
The first, and by far the most important of these, is that toFontainebleau, a visit to which is necessary in order to enable you properly to fill in the mental picture of the change wrought by François Ierand his successors in French art and architecture. It is an inevitable complement to your visits to the Louvre. This excursion, however, should only be made after the visitor has thoroughly seen and digested the Renaissance collections in the Louvre, and the École des Beaux-Arts, as well as the Tombs of the Kings at St. Denis. Baedeker is an amply sufficient guide for this the most interesting and instructive excursion that can be made from Paris. One day suffices for a visit to the Château and a glimpse of the Forest; though a week can be pleasantly spent in this charming region. After your return, you will do well to visit the Renaissance Sculpture at the Louvre again. Many of the works will gain fresh meaning for you after inspection of thesurroundings for which they were designed, and the architecture which formed their natural setting.
The second excursion, also valuable from the point of view of the study of the Renaissance, is that toSt. Germain, where the Château itself, and the exquisite view from the Terrace, are almost equally delightful. Those interested inprehistoric archæology, too, should not miss seeing the very valuable collection in the Museum installed in the Château, probably the finest of its sort in the world, and rich in drawings and other remains of the cave-men of the Dordogne.
The third excursion, in every respect less pleasing and instructive, is that toVersailles. This must be taken rather as a duty than as a pleasure. Leave it for some enticing day in summer. Neither as regards art or nature can the great cumbrous palace and artificial domain of Louis XIV be compared in beauty to the other two. The building is a cold, formal, unimposing pile, filled with historic pictures of the dullest age, or modern works of often painful mediocrity, whose very mass and monotony makes most of them uninteresting. The grounds and trees have been drilled into ranks with military severity. The very fountains are aggressive. Nevertheless, a visit to the palace and gardens is absolutely necessary in order to enable the visitor to understand the France of the 17th and 18th centuries, with its formal art and its artificial nature. You will there begin more fully to understand the powdered world of the du Barrys and the Pompadours, the alleys and clipped trees of Le Nôtre’s gardens, the atmosphere that surrounds the affected pictures of Boucher, Vanloo, and Watteau. Take it in this spirit, and face it manfully. Here, again, the indications in Baedeker are amply sufficient by way of guidance.
When you have seen these three, you need not trouble yourself further with excursions from Paris, unless indeed you have ample time at your disposal and desire country jaunts for the sake of mere outing. But these three you omit at your historical peril.]
In conclusion, I would say in all humility, I am only too conscious that I have but scratched in this book the surface ofParis. Adequately to fill in the outline so sketched, for so great and beautiful a city, so rich in historical and artistic interest, would require a big book—and big books are not easy to carry about with one, sight-seeing. Moreover, I reflect by way of comfort, it is not good for us to be told everything; something must be left for the individual intelligence to have the pleasure of discovering. All I have endeavoured to do here is tosuggest a method; if I have succeeded in making you take an interest in Mediæval and Renaissance Paris, if I have stimulated in you a desire to learn more about it, I have succeeded in my object. However imperfect this work may be—and nobody can be more conscious of its imperfections than its author—it will be justified if it arouses curiosity and intelligent inspection of works of art or antiquity, in place of mere listless and casual perambulation.
It is common in England to hear superior people sneer at Paris as modern and meretricious. I often wonder whether these people have ever really seen Paris at all—that beautiful, wonderful, deeply interesting Paris, some glimpse of which I have endeavoured to give in this little volume. To such I would say, when you are next at your favourite hotel in the Avenue de l’Opéra, take a few short walks to St. Germain-des-Prés, the Place des Vosges, St. Étienne-du-Mont, St. Eustache, and Cluny, and see whether you will not modify your opinion.
THE END.
INDEX
Ancient Sculpture,154-168.Antinous,163.Archæology, Prehistoric,251.Armour,46.Assyrian Antiquities,189.Boucher,111.Boulevards, The,197,198,208,209.Burgundian Art,175,177.Canova,188.Carnavalet Museum,247.Carpaccio,148,149.Carrousel, Place de,69.Caryatides,167.Cellini,174.Childebert,65,178,213.Christian Sculpture, Early,193-196.Cimabue,74.Classical Sculpture,153-168.Claude of Lorraine,108,110.Cluniac Priory,211.Cluny, The Museum,37-55.Colombe, Michel,179,225.Copies, Museum of,225-229.Correggio,85.Dagobert, Tomb of,237.David,112,114.Debrosse, Jacques,215,224.Delacroix,114.Delaroche, Paul,109,114,229.Della Robbia,48,170,171.Diana of Gabii, The,162.Dieulafoy Collection of Persian Antiquities,190,191.Donatello,169,170.Drawings, Collection of,192.Dutch School of Painting, The,104,105,114.Ebony carvings,53.École des Beaux-Arts, The,224-229.Egyptian Antiquities,189.Enamels,49,50,244.English School of Painting, The,107.Etruscan Antiquities,192.Faubourg St. Germain, The,35,213-229.Flandrin, Frescoes by,218-220,248.Flemish School of Painting, The,100-106.Fontainebleau,250.Fontaine des Innocents,203.Fontaine St. Sulpice,223.Fra Angelico,78,150.Fragonard,111,113.François I., Tomb of,238.Frédégonde, Tomb of,238.French School of Painting, The Early,99,100,108-114.French School of Painting, The Modern,107,114,115,223.French Sculpture,174-188.Frescoes,83,144,219.German School of Painting, The,106,107.German Sculpture,181.Ghirlandajo,81,151-153.Giotto,74.Goldsmith’s Work,53,193.Goujon, Jean,67,70,167,182-187,203,225,247.Greek Sculpture,155-163.Greuze,111,113.Guimet Museum,249.Hermaphrodite,158,168.Holbein,106,107.Hôtel de Ville, The,200.Île de la Cité, The,12,13,16-30.Ingres,84,114.Italian Pictures,74-99.—— Sculpture,169-174.Ivories,52,53,192.Labarum, The,194.Lebrun, Madame,110,112.Le Sueur,109.Limoges Enamels,50.Leonardo,87,89,92.Louvre, The,15,62-196,242-245.Luini,83,145-148.Luxembourg Museum,223.—— Palace,215,224.Madeleine, The,209.Madonnas,131-143.Maison de François I,246.Majolica,170.Mantegna,80,85,116-124.Massone,124-126.Médicis, Marie de,102-104.Memling, Hans,84,85,101.Michael Angelo,172.Millet,115.Mino da Fiesole,173,174.Mithra of the Capitol, The,166,167.Moabite Stone, The,189.Mohammedan Potteries,50.Montmartre,249.Murillo,89,98.Nikè of Samothrace, The,73.Notre-Dame,22-30.Opéra House, The,210.Paintings in the Louvre,27-153.Palais Bourbon, The,216.—— de Justice, The,16-18.—— Royal, The,199.Panthéon, The,56-58.Persian Antiquities,191.—— Pottery,51.Perugino,75.Phœnician Antiquities,189.Pilon, Germain,18,44,183-186,238,239.Place des Victoires,207.—— des Vosges,212.Pottery,46-48,192.Poussin, N.,108,110.Predella,117.Primitifs, Salle des,73-83.Puvis de Chavannes,58.Quai d’Orsay, The,217.Quentin Matsys,101.Raphael,85,88,95,126-130,227.Reliquaries,193,242-245.Renaissance Paris,62-71.—— Sculpture,168-187.Rhodian Pottery,50,51.Rive Droite, The,197-212.Rive Gauche, The,34-61.Roman Paris,12,35,55.Roman Sculpture,163-167.Romanesque Architecture,215.Rubens, 102-104,106.Sainte Chapelle, The,19-22.St. Denis,13,14.—— Abbey of,230-245.St. Étienne-du-Mont,56,58-60.St. Eustache,203-207.St. Geneviève,13,14,15,55.St. Germain,251.St. Germain-des-Près,213-215,217-221.St. Germain l’Auxerrois,64-66.St. Gervais,201-203.St. Merri,202.St. Sulpice,221-223.St. Vincent,213.St. Vincent de Paul,248.Salon Carré, The,84-90.Salle Duchâtel, The,83,84.Salle de Pheidias, The,157.Sarcophagi,158,159,194.Sculpture at Cluny,38-54.—— in the Louvre,72,73,153-188.Sorbonne, The,248.Spanish School of Painting, The,97,98.Spanish Carving,40.Sposalizio,227.Tanagra Figures,192.Tapestry,40,42,44,48.Thermes, The,12,35,55.Titian,92,93.Trocadéro, The,249.Troyon,115.Tuileries, The,199.Van Dyck,105.Van Eyck,87.Vases, Greek,192.Vendôme Column, The,210.Venus of Arles, The,161.Venus of Milo, The,159,160.Veronese,86,90.Versailles,251.Watteau,111,113.
Ancient Sculpture,154-168.
Antinous,163.
Archæology, Prehistoric,251.
Armour,46.
Assyrian Antiquities,189.
Boucher,111.
Boulevards, The,197,198,208,209.
Burgundian Art,175,177.
Canova,188.
Carnavalet Museum,247.
Carpaccio,148,149.
Carrousel, Place de,69.
Caryatides,167.
Cellini,174.
Childebert,65,178,213.
Christian Sculpture, Early,193-196.
Cimabue,74.
Classical Sculpture,153-168.
Claude of Lorraine,108,110.
Cluniac Priory,211.
Cluny, The Museum,37-55.
Colombe, Michel,179,225.
Copies, Museum of,225-229.
Correggio,85.
Dagobert, Tomb of,237.
David,112,114.
Debrosse, Jacques,215,224.
Delacroix,114.
Delaroche, Paul,109,114,229.
Della Robbia,48,170,171.
Diana of Gabii, The,162.
Dieulafoy Collection of Persian Antiquities,190,191.
Donatello,169,170.
Drawings, Collection of,192.
Dutch School of Painting, The,104,105,114.
Ebony carvings,53.
École des Beaux-Arts, The,224-229.
Egyptian Antiquities,189.
Enamels,49,50,244.
English School of Painting, The,107.
Etruscan Antiquities,192.
Faubourg St. Germain, The,35,213-229.
Flandrin, Frescoes by,218-220,248.
Flemish School of Painting, The,100-106.
Fontainebleau,250.
Fontaine des Innocents,203.
Fontaine St. Sulpice,223.
Fra Angelico,78,150.
Fragonard,111,113.
François I., Tomb of,238.
Frédégonde, Tomb of,238.
French School of Painting, The Early,99,100,108-114.
French School of Painting, The Modern,107,114,115,223.
French Sculpture,174-188.
Frescoes,83,144,219.
German School of Painting, The,106,107.
German Sculpture,181.
Ghirlandajo,81,151-153.
Giotto,74.
Goldsmith’s Work,53,193.
Goujon, Jean,67,70,167,182-187,203,225,247.
Greek Sculpture,155-163.
Greuze,111,113.
Guimet Museum,249.
Hermaphrodite,158,168.
Holbein,106,107.
Hôtel de Ville, The,200.
Île de la Cité, The,12,13,16-30.
Ingres,84,114.
Italian Pictures,74-99.
—— Sculpture,169-174.
Ivories,52,53,192.
Labarum, The,194.
Lebrun, Madame,110,112.
Le Sueur,109.
Limoges Enamels,50.
Leonardo,87,89,92.
Louvre, The,15,62-196,242-245.
Luini,83,145-148.
Luxembourg Museum,223.
—— Palace,215,224.
Madeleine, The,209.
Madonnas,131-143.
Maison de François I,246.
Majolica,170.
Mantegna,80,85,116-124.
Massone,124-126.
Médicis, Marie de,102-104.
Memling, Hans,84,85,101.
Michael Angelo,172.
Millet,115.
Mino da Fiesole,173,174.
Mithra of the Capitol, The,166,167.
Moabite Stone, The,189.
Mohammedan Potteries,50.
Montmartre,249.
Murillo,89,98.
Nikè of Samothrace, The,73.
Notre-Dame,22-30.
Opéra House, The,210.
Paintings in the Louvre,27-153.
Palais Bourbon, The,216.
—— de Justice, The,16-18.
—— Royal, The,199.
Panthéon, The,56-58.
Persian Antiquities,191.
—— Pottery,51.
Perugino,75.
Phœnician Antiquities,189.
Pilon, Germain,18,44,183-186,238,239.
Place des Victoires,207.
—— des Vosges,212.
Pottery,46-48,192.
Poussin, N.,108,110.
Predella,117.
Primitifs, Salle des,73-83.
Puvis de Chavannes,58.
Quai d’Orsay, The,217.
Quentin Matsys,101.
Raphael,85,88,95,126-130,227.
Reliquaries,193,242-245.
Renaissance Paris,62-71.
—— Sculpture,168-187.
Rhodian Pottery,50,51.
Rive Droite, The,197-212.
Rive Gauche, The,34-61.
Roman Paris,12,35,55.
Roman Sculpture,163-167.
Romanesque Architecture,215.
Rubens, 102-104,106.
Sainte Chapelle, The,19-22.
St. Denis,13,14.
—— Abbey of,230-245.
St. Étienne-du-Mont,56,58-60.
St. Eustache,203-207.
St. Geneviève,13,14,15,55.
St. Germain,251.
St. Germain-des-Près,213-215,217-221.
St. Germain l’Auxerrois,64-66.
St. Gervais,201-203.
St. Merri,202.
St. Sulpice,221-223.
St. Vincent,213.
St. Vincent de Paul,248.
Salon Carré, The,84-90.
Salle Duchâtel, The,83,84.
Salle de Pheidias, The,157.
Sarcophagi,158,159,194.
Sculpture at Cluny,38-54.
—— in the Louvre,72,73,153-188.
Sorbonne, The,248.
Spanish School of Painting, The,97,98.
Spanish Carving,40.
Sposalizio,227.
Tanagra Figures,192.
Tapestry,40,42,44,48.
Thermes, The,12,35,55.
Titian,92,93.
Trocadéro, The,249.
Troyon,115.
Tuileries, The,199.
Van Dyck,105.
Van Eyck,87.
Vases, Greek,192.
Vendôme Column, The,210.
Venus of Arles, The,161.
Venus of Milo, The,159,160.
Veronese,86,90.
Versailles,251.
Watteau,111,113.