Episode 276 - Part 4 - The Travels of the Mona Lisa

When the Mina Lisa returned to the Louvre on January 4, 1914, she came back an icon. 

President John F. Kennedy and his wife, Jackie, visited Paris on May 31, 1961, for 3 days. The darling of American politics didn’t impress Charles de Gaulle, but the French heritage of the beautiful first lady, Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy, did. Speaking fluently in French to De Gaulle, he was powerless under her influence, as was Cultural Minister André Malraux. 

A lavish state dinner was held on June 1 in the Hall of Mirrors in Versailles on the 220-foot-long table set with Naploeons silver and Bleu Marli Sèvres china. André Malraux quickly fell under her charm and was invited the following May 1962 for a state dinner in Washington DC. 

It was at the May 11, 1962 dinner when sitting next to the minister Jackie & André talked over a plan to send the Mona Lisa to America. Back in France, the idea was not well received. As the date became closer citizens rioted in the streets and the daily conversations over a cafe were all about the Mona Lisa. 

On December 14, 1962, 49 years and a day that she was discovered after her two-year abduction she left France again, this time for the United States. Packed away in an especially designed airtight temperature-controlled case she boarded the SS France to New York under heavy security. The special case stored the painting and the frame separately and as she floated across the ocean, only a handful of people knew of the special cargo. 

Arriving five days later on December 19 federal and local police and military awaited the precious package and drove her to Washington DC to the National Gallery where she was tucked away for three weeks while her room was prepared. On January 8, 1963, to coincide with the opening of the 88th session of Congress the doors opened. For the first and only time in American history, the President of the United States opened an art exhibit with an official speech alongside the President of France. 

From January 9 to February 3 people lined up for hours for a glimpse of the famous Mona Lisa. Security was tight as officials were worried she would be stolen or destroyed. Surrounding her were two armed Marines and a slew of undercover agents within the crowd. Madeline Hours traveled from the Louvre every step of the way with Lisa. Constantly checking the conditions Lisa was exposed to. In the National Gallery, the swarm of people became so large the temperature of the room rose ten degrees. As Madeline moved towards the painting to check the temperature, she moved a bit too quickly and the Marine on guard punched her in the throat. 

In the end, 518,525 people saw her in DC and waited well over 2 hours on the coldest days of winter.  

On February 4, Lisa and Madeline escorted by heavy security made their way to the MET in New York. On February 7, the doors were opened in over four weeks, 1,077,521 people witnessed the mysterious smile. While in the MET the sprinkler system malfunctioned overnight and water flowed down her frame for hours. Thankfully she was protected. 

Madeline Hours was born on August 5, 1913, and would become the director of the C2RMF and advanced scientific studies of paintings and restoration to a place no other museum in the world could reach. 

In April 1974, Lisa left France for the last time, this time to Tokyo under the orders of President Pompidou in an act of diplomacy. Japanese Prime Minister Tanaka had put aside $300 million for France to promote the study of Japanese culture and language. In return Pompidou agreed to let the Mona Lisa leave the Louvre and travel to Tokyo, something Louvre officials were quite against. 

For her departure in  1974, she was placed in a state-of-the-art case that controlled not only the temperature and humidity but also protected her from fire, water, and any other disaster that could occur. In 1962, she traveled by sea, but in 1974, she took her first flight, and the change in air pressure had to be taken into account. Her traveling case was better than her permanent home in the Louvre, and museum officials were a bit embarrassed by this fact. 

In Tokyo, from April 17 to June 11, the crowds were so large that they were only allowed to stop for 10 seconds to look at her, and it was highly controlled. She was such a sensation that a direct phone line to the Mona Lisa was created. “Hi, my name is Lisa, and I am known as La Giocondo.” 

On her return to France, her flight traveled over Russia, where it was ordered to land. Director of the Pushkin,  Irina Antonova, heard that the famed painting would be flying over Moscow and pleaded with Ekaterina Furtseva, Russian Minister of Culture, to see if Lisa could make a stop. 

Russian President Brezhnev had seen the Mona Lisa on a private visit to the Louvre in 1971 with President Pompidou and was keen to make it happen.  As the flight entered Russian airspace, it was “forced” to land. The French agreed that she would be kept behind bulletproof glass and heavy security. It was the midst of the Cold War, and only Lisa could thaw the tension, if just for two weeks.   Murky figures after recall that 300,000 people waited 7 to 8 hours a day for a quick glimpse of Western art, their government despised. 

After her vacation to Japan and Moscow, the French government created a law that would ban her from ever leaving France again. 

With her living conditions far better on a flight than in the Louvre, officials had to make a change. In 1974, she was placed behind bulletproof glass in the Salon Carré. 

From 2001 to 2005, the Salle des Etats was renovated and funded by the Nippon Television Company for $6.2 million.  

Today, she is behind two sheets of bulletproof triple-laminated glass in a climate-controlled and heavily monitored casing. Ultrasound equipment surrounds her, and the smallest issue can be discovered within seconds. Humidity being the biggest issue, 25 pounds of silica gel keeps her at a perfect 55 degrees Fahrenheit and at 50% humidity at all times.  The wall that she is placed in, which was added in 2005,  is concrete in case anyone wants to try to drive a car into her. 

In 2018, French Cultural Minister Francoise Nyssen proposed a traveling exhibition showcasing the highlights of the collection around France to combat “cultural segregation.”  She first mentioned it in March of 2018 on a radio program, which was quickly denounced by then director of the Louvre Jean-Luc Martinez. Martinez mentioned that the fragile wood panel can’t even be moved between floors, much less traveling around France.  

In 2019, the Salle des Etats was repainted a beautiful royal navy blue and was briefly moved to the Richelieu wing, exactly what the now disgraced former director Martinez stated they couldn’t do. 

Once a year, in July, she is removed from her coffin and inspected. Always on a Tuesday, when the museum is closed, the entire Denon wing is closed down to employees. National police are even brought in to guard the rooms around the Salle des Etats as she is lifted from her frame. 

A dozen lucky curators and da Vinci experts from around the world are chosen each year to view a once-in-a-lifetime event, the grand lady, naked and out of her casing and sitting on an easel just like she did for Leonardo over 500 years ago. 

Mona Lisa attacked 

In 1956, the Mona Lisa returned for a short time to the Musée Ingres in Montauban, a spot that hid her away from October 1940 to March 1943. While on display, a woman tossed acid on the painting that was thankfully protected by glass. 

Back in the Louvre at the end of the year. Ugo Unzaga Villegas, a Bolivian homeless man, had a rock in his pocket and decided to throw it at the Grand Dame. It shattered the glass around her elbow and even left a small mark that was restored. Later, he admitted he had carried out the act in hopes of being arrested and sent to jail so he could have a warm place to sleep. 

On April 20, 1974, opening day of the Tokyo National Museum, Tomoko Yonezu, a young disabled woman, pushed through the crowd and sprayed Lisa with red paint. From the start, the museum refused to allow disabled people to attend the viewing. Her attack led her to a stint in prison and a large fine, but the museum also added a day so disabled visitors would have their own time and space to see the famous lady. 

On her brief visit to Russia in 1974, a woman tossed a bouquet of flowers at her; nothing was damaged. 

In 2009, on August 2, a Russian woman entered the Louvre and bought a coffee cup with the face of the Mona Lisa on it, and decided to enter the room and promptly walked up and lobbed the cup at the glass, which only shattered the mug, not the painting. She was upset to have been refused French nationality. I can understand this. 

On May 29, 2022, it was a 36-year-old man who pretended to be an elderly woman and used a wheelchair to get a bit closer to the Mona Lisa. Upon entry past the stanchions, he pulled a creme pastry from under his jacket tossed it at the painting, and climbed up to smear it on the glass before tossing red roses at her. It was a protest for climate change but somehow I think Lisa would be happy to have a bite of a French pastry and some red roses after more than 500 years behind glass. 

And just a week ago on January 28, 2024, at 10 am two women waltzed into the Salle des États and removed a coffee thermos of Pumpkin Soup, and tossed it at the Mona Lisa while hundreds stood and watched. “Our agricultural system is sick! What’s more important? Art or the right to a healthy and sustainable diet?” The Riposte Alimentaire group was behind the attack and immediately posted to social media their thoughts. The two women were arrested and will pay a fine. 

As for the Mona Lisa, she has seen it all now. The room was closed for an hour while the staff cleaned the soup off the wall, and by 11:30 am, the crowd was pushing and shoving their way to the front for yet another selfie. 

You will notice that none of these attacks happened before the theft. Each of these acts is meant to draw attention to a situation, and they know that if it happens to the Mona Lisa, it will make the news around the world, which it did once again last week. 

Episode 275- Vincenzo and Lisa - Part Three in the Story of the Mona Lisa

Vincenzo Peruggia

Born October 8, 1881, in Dumenza in the north of Italy. The oldest of five children, he began working at twelve as a house painter in Milan.  In 1908 Vincenzo moved to Paris where he became very sick and hospitalized for lead poisoning, a nugget that will come into play later. Moving away from the painting business he got a job with the A Gobier company that had worked on the glass and windows of the Musée du Louvre since 1832.  

Unhinged people kept entering into the Louvre and tossing paint and slashing paintings so the Louvre decided the most important pieces needed to be protected with new frames and glass. Vincenzo’s time with the Gobier company wasn’t ideal. His French coworkers picked on him and called him Macaroni. Needless to say, he did become the best and when the Louvre needed the frames of the Italian masters replaced, Vincenzo was the only man for the job. 

Each day for a year Peruggia was up close and personal with each of the Italian paintings that had once belonged to the kings of France. After the Raphael’s were completed, Vincenzo tackled Leonardo da Vinci’s and of course the Mona Lisa. This gave him an in-depth knowledge of the future star of the Louvre although he hadn’t decided to steal her quite yet. 

One theory that has been floated around is that he chose the Mona Lisa because she resembles one of his girlfriends. When his tiny apartment was inspected after his arrest they found over 90 letters from a woman named “Mathilde”. The mystery woman is also tied to one of his few brushes with the law prior to the grand theft. 

Vincenzo saw Mathilde one night in a Parisian dance hall and saw another man talking with her. She brushed him off but the man stabbed her. Vincenzo zoomed in to take her to the home of an Italian woman in his neighborhood who cared for the young girl. 

He wasn’t a stranger to the police and was in the system including his fingerprints. However, in those days everything was on paper, and stacks of thousands of criminals would have to be searched through to find the one matching thumbprint. 

On June 23, 1908, he was arrested for an attempted robbery and a few months later again for a fight over a  prostitute and was sentenced to eight days in jail. 

The working theory was that Vincenzo believed Napoleon had stolen her from Italy. For decades his daughter and family believed he had taken her as an act of patriotism. However, that was dispelled when letters were found where he repeatedly said he had a large payday happening soon. 

Following his arrest he was held in the Italian prison and worshiped like a king. Strangers offered to pay for his lawyer, women sent him love letters and brought flowers each day and the Italian papers claimed he was a hero. 

The day after her triumphant return to the Louvre, Vincenzo was in front of an Italian judge. He claimed that all the Italian paintings in the Louvre had been stolen by Napoleon. They didn’t have plaques for each painting with the provenance back in 1911. He also blamed his lead poisoning for his actions. 

Already held in jail for seven months, his trial was delayed until June 4, 1914, and many of the former French officials involved in the case had retired or died. Lawyers Renzo Carline and Fernando Targetti argued that keeping the trial in Italy, not France worked in his favor. When his case was settled he was sentenced to 1 year and 15 days. On July 28 World War I was declared, the next day Peruggia’s case was reduced to 7 months and 9 days. He had been in jail since December 14, 1913, authorities declared he had served enough time, and was released the same day. 

The perfect crime of one of the greatest pieces of art resulted in nothing more than a hand slap. Viewed as a hero everywhere he went he returned to his small village of Dumenza and then joined the army fighting for the country he loved. 

In 1921 with his new wife, he returned to France and opened a paint shop. One day he decided to take her to Paris and visit the Louvre. On a Sunday morning in 1923, Vincenzo who was now known as Pietro Peruggia walked into the Grand Galerie and introduced his wife to the Mona Lisa. 

On his birthday, October 8, 1925, while holding a bottle of champagne he fell to his feet and died instantly of a massive heart attack. His daughter Celestina was just 19 months old, too young to remember her father but claimed until her death in 2011 that her father had stolen the Mona Lisa in an act of patriotism. 

Peruggia was buried in the Condé cemetery in the small town of Saint-Maur-des-Fossés at the eastern edge of Paris. When the family stopped paying for his plot his body was exhumed and placed in a communal grave. There is no grave or marker for the notorious thief but you can go to the Louvre and visit the Mona Lisa, his greatest claim to fame. 

Lisa del Giocondo 

Lisa di Antonio Gherardini was born in Florence on June 15, 1479, to a noble landowning Tuscan family. Not far from The Palazzo Pitti where the Medici family lived was the home of Antonmaria Gherardini and Lucrezia del Caccia. The family lived on the corner of the via Maggio and via Squazza when Lisa was born and then moved to the other side of the river in 1494. Near Santa Croce between via del Pepi and via Ghibellina they discovered their new neighbors, the Giocondo’s. 

On March 5, 1495, at 15 years old, Lisa married the son of her neighbor,  Francesco del Giocondo. Francesco was from a rich family that made their money in the silk business. A widow, a father, and nineteen years older than Lisa who also had a somewhat famous family as a neighbor. Living just a few doors down from Ser Piero da Vinci, the father of Leonardo. 

 A year later they welcomed their first child, Piero, quickly followed by Piera in 1497, Camilla in 1499, Marietta in 1500, Andrea in 1502, and finally Giocondo in 1507. Sadly only two survived past adolescence. 

Francesco became a civil servant and was elected to one esteemed post after another from 1499 to 1512. Once thought to be working for the exiled Medici family he was tossed into prison until the Medici’s returned and bailed him out.  

In 1502, Francesco commissioned Leonardo da Vinci to paint a portrait of his wife. Leonardo was at the height of his fame at the moment after just completing the Last Supper but was also in need of money so accepted the job. Having just given birth to her son Andrea she sat for the portrait, considered quite large at the time for its subject matter. 

Leonardo began painting her in February 1503 and for days on end the lovely Lisa sat in front of him while a band played music to keep her spirits up during the long sittings. Four or five years later Leonaro put it aside until she would leave for France. 

Lisa never saw the unfinished painting. Contracting the plague in 1539 Francesco died and Lisa left Florence to live with her daughter in the Sant’Orsola convent where she died July 15, 1542. 

Leonardo liked to “meditate” on his paintings, work a little on a painting then take a break to ponder what he would do next. So it wasn’t out of the norm that the painting of Lisa wasn’t finished. In 1508 he carried the painting with him to Milan, then to Rome in 1513 until she moved with the artist to France.

Watch the Mona Lisa is Missing documentary here

Episode 274 - The Recovery of the Mona Lisa

EPISODE 2  in the Saga of Mona Lisa

1913 

For 28 months, the Mona Lisa returned to her earlier days of existence, stuffed into a closet without the adoration of thousands of people, although this time it was a tiny apartment near the Canal Saint Martin. 

For all of 1912 and into 1913, Vincenzo continued with his life, although he did not return to his job and remained quiet and close to home.  While the world wondered where the Mona Lisa was. Smart crooks all over the world use theft for their benefit. Some even employed copyists who thought they could resell copies to wealthy individuals who could never admit they had bought the most sought-after woman in the world.

In the winter of 1912, Peruggia left Lisa in his apartment, but now in a box that he slid under his stove. A quick trip to London to see art dealer Joseph Duveen, who is hailed as the individual who brokered more European art to wealthy Americans than anyone else.  When the short, 5-foot-3-inch Vincenzo walked in, Duveen immediately laughed him out of his gallery. Peruggia returned to Paris and Lisa to her tomb under the stove and waited another year before his final act. 

On November 29, 1913, Vincenzo once again appeared.  This time, in a letter sent to Alfredo Geri, an art dealer in Florence. It stated that the “Stolen work of Leonardo is in my possession. It seems to belong to Italy as the painter was an Italian. My dream is to give back this masterpiece to the land from which it came.”  Signed Leonard 

Geri was skeptical at best, but contacted Giovani Poggi, curator, and Corrado Ricci, director of fine arts of the Uffizi. 

Deciding they didn’t have anything to lose, they responded and set up a meeting for December 22 in Milan. “Leonard” decided he didn’t want to wait any longer and arrived in Florence on Wednesday, December 10, 1913. Walking into Geri’s shop on the Via Borgo Ognissanti, Leonard Vincenzo introduced himself and asked the owner if he was interested in seeing the painting.  

Two hours later, Geri and Poggi were in the Peruggia’s tiny hotel room on the 3rd floor and looking at what was now the most famous painting in the world. The thief brought her back to Italy in a large custom-made crate with a false bottom topped with clothes, tools, and a mandolin. The director was shocked to see what was lying on top of her. 

Vincenzo said he wanted 500,000 lira for her (today, that is worth approximately $ 2.14 million). The two agreed and let the thief know they wanted to have it checked at the Uffizi before they paid. As the three men walked out of the Hotel Albergo Tripoli, a front desk staff member stopped them. The clerk thought they were stealing a painting from the hotel room, which had much tighter security than the Louvre. As soon as the painting was verified, Geri and Poggi instructed Peruggia to return to the hotel, and they would bring the money over.  Vincenzo must have walked back to the hotel lighter than air, thinking all his dreams were about to come true. Instead, the police were called and arrived as Vincenzo lay down to nap and was quickly arrested. 

Considering that the Mona Lisa had been stored under a table and a stove, in a closet, and then in a crate for over two years, she was in fairly good shape. She had a small mark on her cheek and a scratch just over her left shoulder. In the 15th century, when she was still in Leonardo's hands, a crack developed from the top to just past the part of her hair. Years of mishandling didn’t help, and two butterfly joints and a small piece of wood were laminated onto the back to repair her. After her voyage away from the Louvre, one of the butterfly joints disappeared. Fun fact, when it was replaced, the wood had some tiny insects in the new joints and began to infect the painting. 

After the news quickly spread that she had finally recovered, French officials, the Louvre director, and the curator arrived in Florence. As a sign of appreciation, the Mona Lisa continued her short staycation in Italy. First, on display in the Uffizi Gallery, she remained for five days and was placed in a gold-gilded frame. 

During that brief period, the Mona Lisa was set up between Da Vinci’s Annunciation and the Adoration of the Magi, both painted twenty years before the famous Lisa. Thousands of people lined up each day to catch a glimpse of her before she left for Rome for a private viewing with King Victor Emmanuel. For five days through Christmas, she resided in the Borghese Gallery, then on to Milan and the Brera Museum, her last stop in Italy. 

It was rather fitting that she spent a few days at the Brera Museum, as its creation was largely due to Napoleon’s looting of art. The collection was gathered as town officials tried to save things from churches before he arrived. In 1809, Eugène de Beauharnais, the son of Josephine and the Viceroy of Italy under his stepfather, was tasked with creating the museum and inaugurated it on the emperor’s birthday, August 15, 1809. 

Finally, on December 30, she left Italy to return home. At 3 am on the final day of the year, she crossed the border into France and arrived at the Gare du Lyon 11 hours later. Hundreds of people waited in the station to welcome her home.  Her final destination was delayed a bit when she first stopped at the École des Beaux-Arts for a private viewing for art students and officials. For three days, by special invitation only the elite of Paris were the first to see her.    Writer Colette was sent to report on the return of what was now the most famous woman in the world. She remarked that it was a sea of cameras, and the air smelled like a perfume shop. It was THE place to be in Paris the first few days of 1914. 

At 10 am on January 4, the doors of the Louvre reopened, now featuring the iconic Mona Lisa. For hours, more than 15,000 people lined up to see her monumental return. Placed once again in her secure frame, Peruggia released her, but she found her way back to the same spot from which she was stolen. However, she wouldn’t be staying long. 

Forty-four years before, in 1870, during the Siege of Paris, Louvre officials evacuated many of the precious pieces of art. Mona Lisa was quietly relocated from Paris, along with 360 other paintings, to the Arsenal of Brest. On September 1, 1870, in case number 11, the 2nd convoy left by train from Montparnasse station.  At the time, the Mona Lisa wasn’t as famous and didn’t warrant the first convoy, although the other Leonardos did. 

On August 11, 1914, France declared war on Austria, marking the entry of the Great War. At the end of August, as the Germans entered Paris, the clock was ticking, and workers quickly removed paintings from their frames and stretchers; the treasures of the Louvre would soon leave its protection. 
Once again, Lisa was on the move, this time under tighter security. On September 1, 1914, placed in her very own red satin-lined crate, she was driven out of Paris towards Bordeaux and later Toulouse, where she would remain until the end of 1918. 

Her biggest adventure was during World War II, when she left Paris not once, but twice. In September 1938, the first time, as Hitler invaded Sudetenland, she ventured to Chambord for a few weeks before returning to the Louvre for 11 months. 

In the summer of 1939, when it was clear that Hitler intended to capture as much art as he could, the Louvre acted quickly, and she was once again placed in her satin-lined crate and tied to an ambulance gurney placed inside a special truck that was hermetically sealed. She was one of the first pieces to leave the Louvre on August 29, 1939. When she arrived in Chambord, the guard placed inside to protect her was unconscious from the lack of oxygen, but Lisa was safe. 

Curator André Chamson and his wife archivist of the Louvre, Lucie Mazauric traveled to Chambord with their 12-year-old daughter Frédérique Hébrand to watch over the famous lady for the duration of the war.  Lucie remembers visiting the Mona Lisa in 1914 at the age of 14 and having a hard time seeing her through the dense crowd. Now she had a view that any art lover would dream of. The young Frédérique grew to be an actress and writer and was seen on many documentaries telling the story of opening the wooden case to pull back the red satin and glimpse the well-known smile of Lisa. 

Lisa and the Chamson family moved five times before her return on June 17, 1945, to the Louvre and into the Grand Galerie.

Episode 273 - The Theft of the Mona Lisa

It was August 21, 1911, the middle of a stretch of endless 90-degree days in Paris, and one of the greatest crimes of the 20th century was happening, and nobody noticed.  

Brigadier Maximillien Alphonse Pauparin, a guard in the Salon Carré, had served in the French military but had no idea what he was about to face on the morning of August 21, 1911. At the time, only former military officers served as guides in the Louvre, not so much now. 

In 1911, two paintings were slashed, and the Louvre knew the most important pieces needed to be protected behind glass in new security frames. Mona Lisa was the first.  The A. Gobier company had been replacing windows in the Louvre and was tasked with protecting the paintings. Made up of French workers and one Italian, which we shall get to in a bit. 

The Louvre was closed on Monday, August 20, and only a handful of guards and staff had been in the Salon Carré after 10 am; nothing seemed out of place. 

Louis Béroud, a copyist and artist, arrived at the Louvre on August 21, just after it opened at 10 am, and took his easel to the Salon Carré, ready to create a painting that involved a copy of the Mona Lisa. As he walked to the wall, he noticed a large hole in the place where she normally hung. 

At the time, the paintings in the smaller Salon Carré hung within inches of each other on the wall, much closer than they are now, so a large hole should have been pretty easy to spot.  Béroud walked over to Pauparin and asked where the Mona Lisa was. The brigadier scoffed and said it had to be in the photo studio as they removed paintings all the time without alerting anyone. He decided to venture down to ask when she would be back, but stopped on the way for a long cigarette break before popping in. 

As he arrived at the studio and asked, “Ou est La Joconde?”  he was met with shocked expressions, and then the panic set in. It was noon on August 21, and the darling of Leonard da Vinci had been gone for two days; they just hadn’t realized that yet. 

As we look back on the events of August 1911, it appears to be the perfect crime, although it would never happen today. When a very upset Brigadier Maximillien Alphonse Pauparin was questioned about the woman he saw every day, he said, “Mon Dieu, she was there Sunday night when the museum closed.” 

In his years at his post, he saw many things. Lovelorn men brought her flowers and letters pledging their undying love to her, and one man was even said to have killed himself in front of her. I haven’t found any info to back that up, but it does make for an interesting little addition. 

One young German man was so devoted to her that his story spread around the world. 

Director of the Louvre, Théophile Homolle, was on vacation in Mexico at the time, and when contacted, he joked that the theft of the Mona Lisa would be like someone stealing the towers of Notre Dame. He was fired from his job upon his return. 

Acting director and curator Léonce Bénédite contacted the Palais de Justice to alert them of the unimaginable. Just after 1 pm, Prefect of the police Louis Lepine arrived at the now-closed Louvre to investigate. The theft was kept very quiet, and the crowd and staff were told that a water main had broken; however, rumors began to spread. 

Lepine brought Alphonse Bertillon, who served as the chief of judicial identity and had been working on a new form of identifying people through fingerprints and profiling. The entire staff was called in, and fingerprints on the right hand were taken. 

During a search of the Louvre, a newly created security frame was discovered in a hidden stairwell that was only used by staff on Mondays. Lepine believed the thief had to have had knowledge of the Louvre and had worked there. An interrogation of the staff was launched, and it was a plumber named Jules Sauve who gave the only clue they had to go on. 

At 9 am on Tuesday, he arrived to hear someone knocking on a door at the base of the staircase leading to the Cour du Sphinx. The doorknob had fallen off on the outside, and the thief was trapped. Sauve graciously opened the door with pliers and saw the man wearing a white Louvre coat. With a quick “bonjour et merci,” they were both on their way.  When Lepine had the plumber in for questioning, his suspicions were correct; it had to be an inside job. The doorknob was then found tossed in the Jardin de L’Enfant. 

At the time of the theft, the Mona Lisa hung on the north wall of the Salon Carré below Veronese Wedding Feast of Cana and between Allegorie Conjugale by Titian and Correggio’s Mystic Marriage with its clear influence of Leonardo. 

August 22, Le Temps broke the story, and by the next day, the theft was on the front page around the world. 

Back in the Louvre, they searched high and low for more evidence. A partial print of the left hand was found on the casing of the frame, but at the time, they had only been taking prints from the right hand. With little to go on, the Louvre thought she might be gone forever. 

One week later, on Monday, August 28, the search of the Louvre was finished, and the museum would reopen the next day. 

On Tuesday, August 29, 1911, at 10:00 a.m., the Musée du Louvre opened its doors to thousands waiting in a two-hour line to catch a glimpse of the wall where the Lady of the Louvre once hung. Surrounding the now-empty wall were four policemen and six museum guards, as well as many undercover agents in the crowd, hoping the thief might make a return.  Of the thousands of people who came, many brought notes and flowers to leave on the distinctive parquet floor. Outside the doors, trinket sellers peddled anything they could with her image on it, and even some entrepreneurial prostitutes hid in the shadows waiting for clients. 

Security at the Musée du Louvre had been pretty laughable for quite some time. Reporters hid in a sarcophagus overnight to test the security and even stole small pieces to see if they could get away with it, and they did. When the Louvre reopened on the 29th, guests were also greeted by two very angry dogs, Jack and Milord, and a slew of security guards. 

Apollinaire & Picasso 

Poet and art critic Guillaume Apollinaire & Pablo Picasso read the headlines in the paper just like everyone else in the world.

The two friends were now in a panic to rid themselves of stolen objects from the Louvre.  At midnight on September 5, the two men packed the pieces into a suitcase, worried that they would be captured while riding the metro or on a bus, or while walking from his studio in Montmartre to the Seine River. Once there, they were afraid they would be seen and decided to walk back up to Montmartre with the heavy suitcase in tow. 

Earlier that day, Apollinaire paid a visit to the Paris Journal to share that he may know who stole the Mona Lisa and turned in the objects. Confessing that a friend, but the fictional name, Baron Ignace d’Ormesan, would steal small sculptures from the Louvre from time to time. Guillaume and Picasso benefited from the stolen loot and thought they would do the right thing by telling the authorities. 

On September 6, the front page of the Paris Journal broke “L’Affaire des Statuettes,” which also alerted the police, who paid a visit to Apollinaire and brought him in for questioning. The thief’s real name was Honoré Joseph Géry Pieret-Belgien, who also worked as a secretary for the writer.  The same morning, the police paid a visit to the Boulevard de Clichy and the apartment of Picasso. When questioned, he said he never heard of Apollinaire and was released later that day. Apollinaire wasn’t as lucky and was held for a week. It would be the only lead and arrest the French police had in the theft of the Mona Lisa, and it was a dead end.  The incident would ruin the friendship of the artist and writer and would be one of Picasso’s few regrets in his life. 

‘Groupe d’artistes by Marie Laurencin (1908) – Pablo Picasso, Marie Laurencin herself, Apollinaire and Fernande Olivier

At the advent of WWI, Apollinaire decided to become a French citizen and enlisted in the war, which would last until a piece of shrapnel tore through his helmet, almost killing him. The injury would alter his mind forever, and he would die on November 9, two short years later, at 38 in 1918, and be laid to rest in Père-Lachaise. 

At the end of the year, the trail for clues had long been cold. When stolen, she hung on the north wall of the Salon Carré, named for the annual Salon, which was the only opportunity for artists to share their work with the public. In February 1912, the spot that had been left empty was a makeshift shrine until officials decided to move Raphael’s, Baldassare de Castiglione, into her place.  In 1528, Castiglione published his “Le Livre de Courtisan,” filled with the stories of court life in Italy, a 16th-century Downton Abbey. Close to the same size and, more importantly, the subject was posed in much of the same way as Lisa. Raphael had briefly seen the painting while Leonardo worked on it. 

In January 1913, the updated catalog of the Louvre was released, and  Leonardo’s Mona Lisa wasn’t a part of its collection. The trail had run cold, and the case had been closed. They believed she would never return home again. 

Baldassare de Castiglione by Raphael 1514 located in the Grande Galerie of the Musée du Louvre

How did what appears to be close to the perfect crime happen? 

The Theft Itself 

On a hot Sunday, August 19, 1911, at around 4 pm. Vincenzo Peruggia entered the Musée du Louvre just like any other visitor. In the final moments, as the museum closed and guards ushered people out, Peruggia slipped into a storage closet just off the Salon Carré. Overnight with a chunk of cheese, a small bottle of wine, and some bread, he worked his way over to the north wall and wrestled the 90-pound painting in its new double frame off the wall. 

This was long before the days of cameras and alarm systems, and one could easily hide in the Louvre overnight and wander around, how dreamy.   

At 6:30 am on Monday, August 20, the Louvre was closed to the public. Peruggia, in his white Louvre coat, walked through the Grande Galerie, Salle des Sept-Mètres, to a small staircase in the corner, backing onto the Grande Galerie, which was only used on Mondays by employees. When he arrived at the ground floor, the door was locked. Using the screwdriver he brought to remove Lisa from the wall, he was able to remove the doorknob, but it only made matters worse. 

One report states that Peruggia was joined by two men who assisted in lifting her off the wall.  

Over time, Peruggia’s version of the theft changed, including that he carried her off and by Winged Victory with a grand farewell before his escape. 

Employees of the Louvre just began to move around for the day, and plumber Jules Sauve heard knocking as he walked by. With a wrench, Sauve opened the door and let who would be the most wanted man in the world in a matter of 24 hours out the door and away with the priceless painting. Walking out the Cour Visconti with Mona under his arm, he tossed the doorknob and jumped onto a bus that would take him home to the 10th arrondissement.

Vincenzo stayed in his small apartment at 5 Rue de l’Hopital Saint Louis overnight and into the next day. On the morning of August 21 when it was discovered she was gone, Vincenzo stayed home with the grand lady in his closet. 

When the entire staff of the Louvre was called in to be interviewed and fingerprinted, Vincenzo did not show up. Detective Lepine arrived at his small apartment to question the thief who let him in and slowly answered his inquiry. Meanwhile, the Mona Lisa was turned around and propped up in his closet. Lepine never took a look around and left without a bit of suspicion. Worried he would return, Peruggia left his apartment and Lisa in a case and checked into the Hotel Rive Gauche on Rue Saint Peres in Saint Germain and requested a top-floor room in case he needed to make a quick escape to the rooftops. Hiding away in room 603 for three days, he awaited any news of the theft to spread through Paris.  

Today, it is the Hotel Da Vinci, and you can stay in the room where Vincenzo and his Florentine lady once stayed, with your own copy of Lisa hanging on the wall. 

On Wednesday, August 23, the headline was International news, but not even a whisper of a suspect.  Peruggia felt he was in the clear and returned to his tiny apartment at number 5 rue de l’Hopital Saint Louis, where the Mona Lisa had stayed alone and would remain for the next 27 months. 

Stay tuned for part 2 next week

Episode 272 - Fashion and Bernard Palissy

The next room of the Louvre Couture exhibit shifts the focus from life depicted on tapestries to flora and fauna that come to life in ceramics, transformed into fabric. 

Alexander McQueen does it again in his last full Prêt à Porte collection. Plato's Atlantis made its premiere on October 6, 2009, as his response to the troubling prognoses of climate change and the world. In 360 BC, Greek philosopher Plato wrote Timaeus and Critias, which features the island country of Atlantis. Conquering Europe, their arrogance would later take them down, and the island would sink into the sea. A direct link to climate change and rising oceans around the world.

McQueen was inspired by frequent visits to the Victoria and Albert Museum in London and the pottery of Bernard Palissy. Using 3D digital imaging of reptile skin onto the fabric, for the first time for a designer. The runway began with dresses in hues of green and browns and finished in shades of blue and turquoise. The dress on display is a short version with folded volumes of fabric of the skirt. Like a snake shedding its skin, McQueen depicts a world of humans evolving into reptiles. 

McQueen also designed shoes to go with the entire collection. The Armadillo platform heel, which has also been worn by Lady Gaga, is covered in two-toned python skin. A more modern take on a chopine, designed by Louboutin and introduced in the previous room. McQueen designed only 24 pairs, 21 of which were used in the fashion show. 

Each pair was sculpted from wood with an interior that held the foot just like it would in a pair of heels, but giving the impression of a ballerina’s foot en pointe. Taking five days and thirty people to make, involving three separate ateliers, the 12-inch shoe with a 9-inch heel had some models refusing to wear them, but once they walked in them, it was revealed they were actually comfortable. 

Next to the reptile dress, we take a dip into the sea with Bottega Veneta. Described as a Nordic mermaid, a knitted form-fitting sweater with scales topping a mermaid rolled waist skirt with fringe detail that looks a bit more like an alien than a mermaid.  

Bottega Veneta, Italian for “Venetian shop,” was founded in 1966 by Michele Taddei and Renzo Zengiaro. Primarily a leather goods company, it expanded into ready-to-wear in 1998. Designer Matthieu Blazy joined the house in 2021 and was praised for every look in each collection. 

Blazy, born in Paris to a father who was an African art expert and historian, has had his entire life filled with art. His mother taught him how to look at art, and if he said he didn’t like it, she asked why and told him to look again. Creating a curiosity and a new way of appreciating art, a way that has been lost in this day and age. Drawn to and inspired by everything from  Renaissance church ceilings to ceramic pieces and even advertising images. He believes his craft as a designer is through observation and perspective. 

The 2023-2024 autumn/fall ready-to-wear collection was his creation of a street in any European city. Blazy described it as “A place where everyone belongs, like a parade”, from a street in Milan to a carnival.  The runway parade included eighty-one looks, and the designers decided against editing anything out and kept adding looks in the final days. 

Growing up with an appreciation for art, the runway show in Milan featured three sculptures placed on the runway, covered in carpet inspired by stracciatella gelato, his favorite. Two bronze runners, dating to the 1st century BC, were found in 1754 at the Villa of the Papyri in Herculaneum and are currently on loan from the Museo Archeologico Nazionale di Napoli. Alongside a more contemporary figure by Umberto Boccioni’s  Unique Forms of Continuity in Space, created in 1913. 

Bridging the passage of time in figures from the bronze forms to the models on the runway. 

The designs in this room reimagine reptiles and sea life, much like artist Bernard Palissy did in the 16th century. Palissy was born in 1510; his father, a glass painter, taught him the craft, sparking his lifelong pursuit of art. Not the best student, he left school early and traveled all over France. Cities formed over land that, thousands of years ago, was the site of volcanoes and lava flows filled with specimens forgotten in time. 

Combining the craft of glass painting with enamel on an Italian cup given to Palissy as a teenager led to a compulsive need to create. His unique ideas and art were discovered by Anne de Montmorency in 1548, at the same time he was building his Chateau d’Ēcouen and wanted a beautiful Italian grotto. 

Catherine de Medici Entertaining the Polish Ambassadors in the Tuileries Gardens, Grotto on the left

In 1563, Palissy had one of his most successful and eventful years. Named the “Inventor of the king’s figurines” under Henri III. His mother, Catherine de Medici, loved the work of Palissy. That same year, Catherine broke ground on her new palace on the eastern side of the Louvre and wanted a grotto much like that of Montmorency. 

In the 13th century, the area was home to many tile factories. Production continued until Catherine forced them out and gave Palissy his choice of workshops. Packing up his entire collection of molds and casts, he moved from his atelier in Saintes to Paris to begin the creation of Catherine's grotto. 

Under the reign of Henri II, Catherine de Medici and her sons, and the long wars of religion against the Protestants had Palissy in a constant state of fear. The edict of Ecouen, signed by Henri II, sent Palissy to prison, but his friendship with Montmorency thankfully led to his release. In 1563, at the height of his fame, he was arrested again, and this time, the Serpent Queen herself saved him. 

Back at his atelier, he worked on the Château d’Écouen and the Tuileries simultaneously. As a father of six, his sons helped produce thousands of small reptiles, sea creatures, and animals needed to adorn each grotto. 

Palissy was a one-of-a-kind artist, recreating life few had ever seen. He took his role seriously, conducting extensive research and speaking to students of science and art at universities throughout France. Work continued on the Tuileries until 1572, when the queen mother, Catherine, was informed by her advisors that Cosimo Ruggeri had told her she would die near Saint-Germain. In the midst of building the Palais du Tuileries, near the Eglise Saint-Germain l’Auxerrois, she abruptly moved to the Hôtel de Saissons on the right bank near Eglise Saint-Eustache. 

Months later, Catherine and her son rang the bell in the dark of night on August 23, 1572, an event that would become known as the Saint Bartholomew's Day Massacre. Palissy was warned and fled Paris; as a result, all work on the grotto came to a halt. Over the next sixteen years, he was arrested and released until May of 1588. Arrested, sentenced to death, and locked away in the Conciergerie on the Ile de la Cité. Appealing his conviction, it was changed to life in the Bastille, where he died in 1589 or 1590 at 80 years old.

Long after his death in 1865, under Napoleon III, the expansion of the Palais du Louvre by Hector Lefuel led to the first discovery of Palissy's work. While building the Pavillon des Sessions, just past the Grands Guichets, a portion of his workshop and kilns were uncovered. More than 14,000 pieces were found and can now be seen in the Louvre, Sevres, and  the Carnavalet 

In May 1985, during excavation work for the pyramid project and the construction of a new laboratory for the C2RMF near the Arc de Triomphe du Carroussel, a significantly larger portion of his workshops was discovered. A kiln and even his home, as well as thousands of small pieces, were unearthed. This time they uncovered thousands of molds and models, fountains, clay basins, entire workshops, kilns, deposit sheds and garbage dumps filled with thousands of pieces, many of which had been intended for the grotto of Catherine de Medici. 

Many of the items, including ceramic frogs made for the grotto, some serving as water spigots for the fountains, can be seen in the Louvre today, in the lower level of the Sully pavilion in the Salle Saint Louis. 

Just a few rooms away from the designs of McQueen and Bottega Veneta are examples of rustic wear and two platters created by Palissy himself.  Often in the shape of a pond and covered with reptiles and sea life.

You can also find Palissy on the exterior of the Louvre as part of the eight-six great men of France installed in 1870. Each figure personally chosen by Napoleon III lived before the 19th century, with the exception of one, sculptor Jean-Antoine Houdon, who died in 1828. A smart way to avoid conflict, although a few artists, including the heirs of Jacques Louis David, were pretty upset about the snub.  

Palissy stands just outside the Grande Galerie, facing west, precisely in the space where his final atelier was located in the 19th and 20th centuries. Sculpted by Victor Huguenin, he holds an ewer in his arms and is dressed in his Renaissance doublet. 

Palissy can also be found in the shadow of the Eglise Saint Germain des Prés  in the Square Félix Desruelles. The bronze sculpture by Louis Ernest Barrias was created in 1880. The artist is dressed in Renaissance attire, consisting of a doublet and apron, standing in front of a small kiln and holding one of his platters, which features a fish and a snake.

In this case, holding the McQueen shoe and an example of a Palissy style rusticware platter is another design by Christian Louboutin. Louboutin is known for his shoes with iconic red soles, but he also makes handbags, belts, and cosmetics. On display is a beautiful, one-of-a-kind, handmade purse created for his Autumn-Winter 2018-2019 collection. Inspired by the sea and shells, the Piloutin Manila bag is covered in rhinestones, real shells, and feathers. 

Let me take you back in time to the 17th and 18th centuries, when a seashell had never been seen in a country that is far from the ocean shores. Napoleon created the crown of Charlemagne, which he used for his coronation in 1804, from cameos made from precious stones and shells. So precious since few had ever seen their beauty before. 

Louboutin created this bag as a nod to the regal story of shells and his own love of these beautiful treasures. 

Episode 271 - Viktor + Rolf and Enamelware

Viktor Horsting and Rolf Snoeren, two Dutch designers, met at the ArtEZ Arnhem Academy of Art and created their label in 1989. Avant-garde designers have incorporated a touch of satire and humor into each of their collections since their debut Haute Couture collection in 1998. 

The dress featured in the Louvre Couture exhibit from the autumn/winter 2021-2022 Haute Couture collection appears quite chic. The Dutch duo created the entire collection around royalty, but not in the sense you may think. In real life, the Crown and an interview with a rebuked royal were all the talk of pop culture and seeped onto the runway. 

The collection was a parade of queens and princesses, who had created themselves. Each look had three pieces: a dress, a sash, and an oversized coat. Many were made with the addition of Swarovski crystals, fake fur, and giant plastic gems. Sashes included” love like a queen”,” queen of the night", “always wear your invisible crown”, and “build castles in the air”. 

The dress we see at the Louvre appears to be the kind a true royal might wear. The royal navy blue and gold Lurex cloqué jacquard fabric is covered in embroidered and padded roses. The climbing vine roses are complete with red thorns. Braided and macramé details on the shoulders, neck, and waist, and edged with pearls and Swarovski crystals. 

The exhibition has been such a success that the Louvre extended it through August 24. The exhibit came together for many reasons, one of which is to shed light on the fantastic objets d’art collection of the Louvre. Although it may be missed by those just coming to take photos of the fashion, hopefully, a few will return to explore the hundreds of years of history more deeply. 

The glass cases of this salle are filled with ceramic and Limoges decorative plates dating to the 15th and 16th centuries. Many of these plates were created in the mid-16th century when the production and popularity were at their peak. Early painted enamel was predominantly used for religious pieces in the Middle Ages. Limoges enamel originated in the 12th century in the city of Limoges, located in the Haute-Vienne department. It fell out of fashion and almost disappeared in the 14th century until Louis XII brought it back to life. Through François I and Henri II, the heyday of enameled metal appeared as a sign of great wealth and exclusivity. 

The middle name of 16th-century artist Léonard Limosin might as well have been Limoges. No other artist is more closely associated with the craft than he was, and many of his pieces are featured in this section of the Louvre. Don’t miss the beautiful altarpieces of Sainte-Chapelle, created in 1248. Pierre Reymond studied under Limosin and became an often sought-after artist, making items for the wealthy families of France. 

To bring out the luxurious fabric of the Viktor & Rolf dress, the enamel plates just opposite also mirror the golden curves on a dark background. 

At the height of their popularity, enamel plates featuring the months of the year were produced for wealthy clients to be displayed in curio cabinets. The theme, popular during the Renaissance, depicted each month of the year with symbolism, astrology, and allegories, and featured laborers of that season and month. The theme goes back even farther to the Middle Ages, where you can find the astrological symbols and trades on the edges of the portail de la Vierge of Notre Dame—as well as early calendars and books of hours. 

The collection of plates within the Louvre, created by Pierre Reymond for Pierre I Séguier, the president of the parliament, was donated to the Louvre in 1922 by Baroness Adèle de Rothschild. The set of five, each includes the coat of arms of Séguier, including March. On the front of the plate, created in 1566, the center features three men engaged in hunting and pruning the vineyard vines. A body of water and an island are in the background, and two dogs are ready to leap into the woods. At the top of the plate, two figures represent the zodiac symbol of Gemini, which would put this scene in May. 

The back of the plate is also decorated in grisaille with scrolls, vegetables, and in the center, the profile of the goddess of hunting, Diana.  Golden details accentuate the plate, along with the initials of the artist, Pierre Reymond.

Enameled pieces are created by adding colored glass powder to a metal surface, often copper, which can be easily molded into plates, cups, and liturgical items. It is then fired in a kiln at temperatures of up to 1500°, allowing the layers to fuse and create a smooth surface. Images are painted with enamel colors and fired with each layer, fusing everything.  Grisaille pieces are made in the same manner, but the painted details are rendered in shades of gray over a dark blue or black background. 

Christian Louboutin was the youngest of four children and the only son. From an early age, he didn’t think he fit in. He looked much different from his sisters with their long blond hair, and created a father and family in his mind from Egypt. His sister admitted, as he was growing up, that he was the result of a love affair his mother had with an Egyptian man. That imaginative thinking led to many beautiful things we all get to enjoy. 

As a child, he spent a lot of time at the nearby Palais de la Porte Dorée in the 12th, where a sign with a stiletto in a red circle and slash stuck with him. High heels weren’t allowed as they would ruin the floor, but that one sign created a legacy. He dropped out of high school to travel to Egypt and India, something that would nourish his imagination and soul. Inspired by the colors, fashion, and people, he spent his time sketching lofty high heels.  

Returning to Paris, he worked at the Folies Bergere using the dancers as his muse, as well as selling them his custom-designed shoes. In 1981, he presented his ideas to Charles Jourdan, which led to a brief internship and then to Roger Vivier. This arrangement proved successful, as it took him to YSL, Hervé Léger, and Maud Frizon, before he briefly decided to leave the fashion industry. Discouraged, he turned his attention to gardening, but eventually missed shoe design too much and returned. By 1991, he had opened his first store. 

At first, this tiny shop was more of an atelier than a storefront, but on November 21, 1991, he opened its doors. The small flagship shop on Rue Jean-Jacques Rousseau, not far from the Louvre, is still open to this day, and Christian often drops in. 

Of course, Louboutins are known for one thing: the red sole. One day, 32 years ago in 1993, at the atelier, he was looking at a finished shoe with its black leather bottom when he noticed some red nail polish on his assistant’s desk. He picked it up and painted the sole, and the rest is history. The Chinese Red color is Pantone 18-1663 TPX, and it is considered the most perfect shade of red. 

Louboutin remembers visiting the Louvre when he was 10 years old and still makes a point to drop in from time to time. His favorites include the painting of Gabrielle d’Estrées and the portrait of Boccio Bandinelli, which once belonged to Louis XIV, as well as a stroll through the Islamic section. 

Louboutin has seven designs featured within the Louvre Couture exhibit, encompassing both shoes and handbags, and he is the perfect pairing for the event. In 2020, a special exhibit featuring over 1,500 designs was held at the Palais de la Porte Dorée, the exact location that inspired his original work. Curator Olivier Gabet collaborated with Christian on the exhibit in 2020 and became deeply involved in his vast collection of works, facilitating an easy installation within the Louvre. 

The shoe on display in the Renaissance section of the exhibit is somewhat hidden in a case of ceramic plates and decorative pieces, which always attracts a few comments. As a lover of high heels, I can’t even count how many times I have been asked how I walk in them or if they are comfortable. The featured Louboutin shoe is not a high stiletto with its perfect pitch and vamp. 

16th-century chopine

Blending history and art into many of his designs, the 1995 Death in Venice shoe is inspired by a platform shoe owned by Mae West in the 1930s and a shoe dating back to the 15th century. The Venetian chopine design, created during the Renaissance, consisted of a large wood or cork base that could be up to 20 inches high. More of a wedge platform, the shoes were difficult to walk in without assistance. Favored by Venetian courtesans, they were often designed and covered in the same fabric as their dresses. While Renaissance dresses featured pannier hips and wide silhouettes, the height usually hidden by the dress made the ladies appear taller. 

In 1430, a law was passed requiring that shoes be limited to three inches in height, although it was never enforced. Louboutin’s design is a twelve-inch-tall, wood-based chopine covered in brown suede and embossed with honey gold gilding, featuring a checkerboard pattern. 

Another beautiful everyday object also mirrors the gilded gold work found on the shoe. A majolique ceramic basin dates to 1500 and once had an ewer (pitcher) that sat inside. Majolique was extremely popular during the Renaissance and originated in Spain and Italy. Much like the enameled copper seen in the Viktor + Rolf dress, these ceramics are also created in the same manner. 

The biscuit ceramic is first fired, then the initial enamel glaze is applied. The colored lead glaze contains tin oxide, which reacts with the metal to create a surface that is easier to paint on and also produces a brighter result.

The basin is decorated with a plant motif around the naval of the plate, which features two shaking hands topped with a crown symbolizing fidelity. The plate is primarily gold with cornflower blue accents and thin black outlines. Created in Duruta, Italy, it was once part of the extensive collection of Giampietro Campana. 

The Marquis Campana was the third generation holding the title of director of the pawn shop in Rome. A bit different than what you would find on American TV, but the same general idea. Giampietro was raised around beautiful things. Art, goldsmithing, and Etruscan antiquities, and loved to add to the family collection. When items arrived, he kept a few for himself and also used some of the official funds to purchase more, as well as to orchestrate his excavations. 

In 1857, it all ended when the Papal State arrested the Marquis and sentenced him to prison, seizing his entire collection. In 1861, it was sold, and an old friend rushed in to purchase the bulk of it. Campana married Emily Rowles in 1851—an Englishwoman whose family was close with Louis Napoleon, the future Napoleon III. 

In 1861, Napoleon III acquired items that once belonged to the Marquis, thereby enriching the antiquities department of the Louvre and adding more than 11,800 items and 641 paintings of most Italian primitives dating to the 14th & 15th centuries. A large majority of the antiquity items are housed in the Louvre's Campana rooms, and most of the paintings are located in the Petit Palais in Avignon. 

These rooms in the Louvre are filled with Etruscan and Greek vases, and the ceilings are incredible—more on those another day. 

Episode 270 - Dior and Tarot Cards

Another stunning design found in the Musée du Louvre Couture exhibit is this beautiful coat by Maria Grazia Chiuri for Dior. Christian Dior was very superstitious. From his signature sprig of lily of the valley to his gold star, he once found on the street on his way to ask for funding for his designs. He would keep both the star and the lily of the valley with him every day until the end of his short life. To this day, both remain essential elements that can be found in Dior's collections and stores. 

The seventh designer and only female in the house's history, Maria Grazia Chiuri, shared a belief with the founder in astrology. Madame Delahaye read Christian Dior’s tarot cards every week and was told that “Women are lucky for you, and through them you will achieve success and you will travel widely”. Chiuri fell in love with the power of the images in the cards and their ability to bring strength and rebirth.

The Tarot cards of today are much different from the cards of the Renaissance. The first cards date back to the 15th century and were a parlor game for the wealthy upper class. Originally called “triumph,” it was an early version of Bridge.  It wasn’t until the 18th century that the cards were tied to astrology. 

The earliest set is attributed to the Visconti-Sforza family of Milan. The Duke of Milan, Filippo Maria Visconti, as well as the richest man in Milan, had been married twice but was still without an heir to his fortune. All that changed on March 3, 1425, when a daughter was born to his mistress, Agnese del Maino. The illegitimate daughter would inherit a vast fortune upon her father's death in 1447. 

Bianca Maria Visconti was just five years old when she was promised to Francesco I Sforza. Sforza came from a family of mercenaries and defenders of Milan against the French invaders. With an eye on money and power, Sforza, Italian for "power," was astute in choosing the young Maria as his third wife. The betrothal also came with a substantial dowry that included multiple properties around Milan. The marriage contract was signed in 1432, two weeks before her eighth birthday; the actual wedding was not held until 1441, when she was sixteen years old. 

Bianca Maria Visconti and Francesco Sforza, by Bonifacio Bembo

Sforza was twenty-four years older than Maria and was spending his time in the beds of other women, even producing many illegitimate children. Maria was not pleased with any of it, and the story goes that she even had one of the women “dealt” with. The couple had ten children, eight of whom survived childhood. 

In 1448, the city of Cremona was attacked by the Venetians, a town where the Visconti family owned a large majority of the property. Unhappy with the response of her husband, she put on an armour suit and charged into battle, forever being known as the Warrior Woman. A title that would speak to another Maria, six hundred years later. 

The creation of the cards could have been at the request of either her father or her husband. The more common story is that they were commissioned as a gift for the marriage of his daughter, Maria Bianca Visconti, to Francesco Sforza.  The second is that her husband created them on their 10th wedding anniversary. 

Created by artist Bonifacio Bembo, each of the 78  cards was hand-painted on thick cardboard. Lapis lazuli, malachite, and precious minerals are used to achieve bold colors, complemented by extensive gold gilding. The major arcana cards feature a gilded gold background and figures painted in contemporary clothing of the time, with family members used for many of the faces, including the couple themselves in the Lovers card. The royal members of the stick cards are draped in blue and gold. Figures of the cups cards are depicted in red and gold clothing, sword figures are in red, and the denier or coin cards are in gold. 

Each of the cards is a snapshot of the Renaissance period with the colors and clothing of the time.  Treated more as pieces of art, the cards have remained in very good condition and were rarely used or played with. Small holes in the top also suggest that they were hung on the wall as tiny pieces of art. Today, seventy-two of the seventy-eight cards survived and can be found in the Morgan Library in New York and at Yale University. You can also find your own set, although a bit different, online. 

Growing up in Rome, Maria Grazia Chiuri was surrounded by the art of the Italian Renaissance, which left a lasting impression on her. Working first for Fendi and then for Valentino, in 1999, she was named the head of the women's collection at Dior. Upon arrival, she leveraged her love of art and research to drive each of the six collections she created during her tenure, which lasted until 2025.

Chiuri, like Dior himself, has always been intrigued by astrology. Upon seeing the Visconti di Modrone tarot cards, she wanted to incorporate them into her 2017-2018 Haute Couture collection. Her third collection for the House of Dior was inspired by a 1953 map drawing of the five continents by Albert Decaris, found in the archives, created for Christian Dior. In the short years of his life after the war, Dior traveled to the United States, South America, and Tokyo, hoping to explore more of the world, but his early death in 1957 put an end to those plans. 

Dior once said, “A complete collection should address all types of women in all countries”, a quote that spoke to Chiuri. Along with the Dior map, it also featured warrior women and heroic female explorers, including groundbreaking pilots Amelia Earhart, Amy Johnson, and Marie Marvingt. The classic silhouettes of Dior, along with the use of Dior's signature grey, brown, cream, and black in masculine shapes and feminine touches, such as belts, pockets, and draping. 

The collection debuted on July 3, 2017, in the shadow of the Dome of Les Invalides, in an open-top tent filled with trees and wooden animals from around the world. After more than six minutes of every shade of grey in beautifully constructed dresses, jackets, and even a custom coat made of the map that inspired the entire collection, came a stunning golden-hued jacket. 

Look 51 is the piece we see in the Louvre Couture exhibit. Chiuri worked with the Maison Vermont to bring each of the tarot cards to life. Created in 1956 by Jean Guy Vermont, the haute couture artisans spend hundreds of hours adding the details that truly make each of these designs stand out. Purchased by Dior in 2012, but still housed in a former hotel particulier on the Boulevard Poissonnière, the house has developed a close relationship with each designer at Dior. 

Two cards in the Tarot deck speak the most to Chiuri, the death and the strength card, and were given special placement on the coat. The death card may sound scary, but it is a card of rebirth. The Visconti image includes a skeleton on a horse before a gold background. At the time the cards were created, a fascination with the macabre permeated art and found its way onto the cards. 

Europe had barely survived the 14th-century plague known as the Black Death that took out as many as 23 million people, up to 60% of the residents of Europe. The tragic event led to a fascination with death depicted in Renaissance art. The figure of death, often referred to as the Great Reaper in Europe or a Camarade, is an image of a skeleton, typically with its skin stretched tightly over its emaciated body. The card is located just on the left side of the jacket at chest level, but is difficult to see in the Louvre due to the pose of the mannequin. There is another on the back. 

The strength card, also known as La Force or fortitude, is one of the four cardinal virtues. Each of the four virtues is found in the Tarot cards: Prudence, Justice, Temperance, and, of course, Fortitude. Representing courage, power, and action, a female figure represents strength while her hands open the mouth of the lion. La Force is often associated with the Greek god Hercules, known for his acts of valor, strength, and courage. The lion represents the ego and the act of pulling its jaws open without fear, as well as the pursuit of prestige.

Chiuri loves how the tarot cards feature an equal representation of men and women. 

The coat is crafted from satin crepe and silk organza, featuring detailed embroidered scrollwork around each card, inspired by a 16th-century archival item at the Maison Vermont. Working with images on silk and backed with felt, small beads were added through embroidery, a process that took over 1,500 hours to complete by hand. It is worn over a black tuille dress with gold thread embroidery evoking feathers of bird wings, and at the bottom, gold rising suns, a repeat from the tarot cards. 

It is genuinely amazing up close, and if you have the chance to see it, be sure to get as close as possible to catch every beautiful detail.  

The Louvre doesn’t have any Tarot cards on display, but it does have eight in its collection that once belonged to Edmond de Rothschild and were given to the museum in 1935. Florentine in design but very similar to the Visconti-Sforza set, they were created around the same time. 

Tarot cards are just a small leap from the allegorical figures depicted in art centuries before. A few rooms away is a 17th century small terracotta oval coupe representing Force. A woman carrying a column on her shoulder in the style of Bernard Palissy, which we will go much deeper into in the next few weeks. 

Just above the Cour Marly, a figure representing Death is located below, with quite an interesting provenance. Standing at almost four feet tall, the allegory of Death was once placed at the entrance of  Les Innocents cemetery. When the cemetery was dismantled, the statue was moved to the nearby Église Saint-Gervais and eventually to Notre-Dame, where it was placed in the Chapel of Saint Guillaume near the tomb of Henri Claude d’Harcourt, until it arrived at the Louvre in 1866.

Episode 269 - McQueen and the Tapestries of Scipio

Keeping on through the wonderfully air-conditioned rooms of the Richelieu wing of the Louvre, we find another tapestry-lined room. The set created for Louis XIV dates back much farther, to the king who rewrote the rules of the monarchy, François I. We owe the Renaissance and the love of all the artistic things in France to him. His mother, Louise de Savoie, raised François and his sister, Marguerite, with a heavy mix of art, literature, and all things Italian Renaissance. Francois became king of France at 20 years old, his mother was just eighteen years old, and a close adviser. It is François who had the Louvre we know today and also filled it with art.

The great chateaux of the Loire Valley built under the reign of François  I were cold and drafty in the winter. The large-scale tapestries helped to fend off the cool drafts and also add a bit of flash to the stone walls.  In 1532, François commissioned a set of twenty-four tapestries made in gold, silver, and silk chronicling the “deeds and triumphs” of Scipion d’Africain from the atelier of Guillaume Dermoyens in Belgium.  The most extensive collection of woven, which once hung in the Chateau de Chambord. During the Revolution in 1797, the tapestries were burned to melt down the gold and silver threads. 

Henri II, son of François I, in 1577 also commissioned a reduced set of ten for Jacques d’Albon, Marshall of France, complete with his coat of arms in the upper corners. Later purchased by Cardinal Mazarin in the 17th century, and then into the hands of Louis XIV. This set was sold during the Revolution, and four have found their way to the Hearst Castle in San Simeon, California.

Under Louis XIV, the superintendent of buildings, arts, and manufactures. The Marquise de Louvois ordered numerous tapestries from the Garde-Meuble. While the Garde-Meuble was experiencing financial difficulties and an effort to keep the weavers busy, Louvois decided to order copies of 16th-century tapestries instead of commissioning artists to design new ones. Eight of the ten tapestries, dating back to 1688, can be found here in the Louvre; the other two are still at the Gobelins. 

With Louis XIV's penchant and adoration of significant mythological and military figures, Louvois knew he would hit a home run with the selection of the Scipio tapestries. Publius Cornelius Scipio Africanus was born around 236 BC in Rome. His father, Publius Cornelius, was a Roman general who took his young son with him into battle. In 218 BC, at the Combat du Tessin in Northern Italy, he witnesses his father and uncle become badly injured and saves them. 

The episode is captured in the first tapestry on the west wall. Tessin, today’s Turin, which you can see in the background of the tapestry. Controlled by the Carthaginian general Hannibal Barca, Scipio’s Roman army of javelin throwers was no match. Hannibal’s army, with the help of the Numidian horsemen, attacks and kills many of the Roman soldiers.  In the lower center of the tapestry, Scipio senior is depicted falling from his horse with a large gash in his head.

Combat du Tessin

To the right of the tapestry is the carton version of the same scene by Fermo Ghisoni. Tapestries are often created from a carton version of the image, painted with tempera on sheets of paper that are then glued together and laminated. Look closely and you can see the sheets on the carton. The image needed to be malleable so that the weaver could then copy it onto the warp threads on the loom before weaving began. The warp is the vertical threads that are pulled with tension in the loom, serving as the design of the image and becoming invisible in the process. The weft is the horizontal threads that create the actual scene of the tapestry. Neutral colors are often found in wool, while bright colors are typically used in silk, which tends to lose its color over time, contributing to the muted appearance of many tapestries today. 

Episode two hangs on the south wall to the left of the Combat. The Capture of Carthage on the Iberian Peninsula was a triumphant moment for Scipio. Using his army of more than 28,000 men, 34 boats, and 3,000 horses, he attacked Hannibal and his army before they could react.  The army stretches on for miles throughout the image, with Scipio in the lower right corner urging his army to fight. The tapestry shows the dominance he had over Hannibal’s army, marking one of the defining moments of his career. 

The Capture of Carthage

The third tapestry depicts one of the most famous episodes of Scipio’s life and can also be found on the ceiling of the Louvre. La Continence de Scipion takes place around 209 BC after his control of New Carthage. On the left, a Roman soldier presents a young lady they have captured, who was betrothed to a Spanish prince. A Roman soldier has come to Scipio, who sits on a throne, and presents a basket of precious items in the hope of being able to pay for her release. Scipio, in turn, orders her release and calls off the marriage, tells the father to keep the items for her future dowry as long as he pledges his allegiance to Rome. The scene is also painted on the ceiling of the Grand Cabinet of the Queen in the summer apartments of Anne of Austria in the Denon wing. 

La Continence de Scipion

La Continence de Scipion in the Anne of Austria summer apartments

The next hanging is another carton, and it is the only version of the story we have in the Louvre. In the scene of 204 BC, after Scipio had conquered Spain, he sought to establish an alliance with neighboring countries to consolidate his dominance in the region; however, he also attempted to gather intelligence and information on his enemy at the same time. Invited by Numidian king Syphax, who was already an ally of Carthage. Depicted in the image on the right is Syphax sitting on a throne, and Scipio is just to his right. Across the table is Hasdrubal Gisco, who looks on quite confused.

In the background, the mantle is covered with gold and silver vases and urns while the staff work quickly to serve the lavish meal of the palace. Scipio was able to win Syphax over to Rome's side. Shortly after, he sets fire to his camp, which we will see in another tapestry.  The size of the carton is reduced from the actual tapestry, which is in the collection of the Garde-Meuble.

We skip to episode six with L’Arrivée en Afrique in 204 BC. Scipio was named consul in 205 BC, and Africa was next on his horizon. Arriving first in Sicily, he gathered more than 30,000 troops and 450 boats and warships. Between late summer and early fall, Scipio and his army arrived in Utica on the northern tip of what is now Tunisia. Scipio is seen on the right, wearing smashing red leggings and wrapped in a blue cloak with stars pointing towards the shore. The chaotic scene on the boat gives it movement, and the waves below splash against the boat's relief of Roman gods. In 202 BC, Scipio finally defeated the Carthaginians.

L’Arrivée en Afrique

The next tapestry, L’incendie du Camp, captures a day that some historians say may have been a bit exaggerated. After the dinner at Syphax’s palace, Scipio gathered intel that he would later use to his advantage. Deciding to set fire to his camp, he caused massive confusion, and the Roman tactician used it to attack his enemy. Scipio is seen on the right upon his horse as he rushes into the confusion. In the upper right, you can see the elephants of the Carthaginian army, which we will examine more closely in the final tapestry.

L’incendie du Camp,

The decisive moment in the story of Scipio comes in the last tapestry, the Battle of Zama. Taking place on October 19, 202 BC, in Zama Regia, near Siliana, Tunisia. The army of Massinissa (Algeria) joined forces with Scipio’s massive army and took on Hannibal Barca and his army, led by eighty war elephants. These specially trained elephants accompanied Hannibal everywhere, including over the Alps to Italy. Each topped with a howdah, the box-like saddle wth high sides held soldiers armed with bow and arrows and javelins. The first line of defense, the enormous elephants, were quickly startled by the Roman horns and began to retreat in chaos. 

Hannibal was no match and was defeated, ending the 18-year war. Scipio was awarded the name Africanus for his heroic role in ending the war in Carthaginian Africa. He would go down in history as one of the most outstanding leaders, inspiring everyone from Julius Caesar to Napoleon Bonaparte, as well as François I and Louis XIV, who had copies of these tapestries created.

Battle of Zama

Flowers are the theme of the other two designs in this room. In a dusty mauve pink Alexandre McQueen suit. Appearing on October 6, 2006, at the Cirque d’Hiver in Paris under a lone crystal chandelier covered in spiderwebs and tuile. The Spring/Summer 2007 collection of McQueen’s label was named Sarabande after a popular Spanish dance that swept through France at the beginning of the 17th century. Even Cardinal Richelieu was known to dance at the Louvre. 

The twenty-ninth collection of McQueen was inspired in part by the 1975 Stanley Kubrick movie, Barry Lyndon. Taking place in mid-18th-century British society, Ryan O’Neil recreates the period's costuming, which comes to life on the runway with a touch of Spanish influence. Romantic, poetic, theatrical, and decaying are all words used to describe the collection. The look we see in the Louvre was the second-to-last of forty-six looks. 

In dusty pink silk moiré and tuille, a very structured jacket features a wide-open boat neck and bell sleeves, paired with a skirt that evokes an abbreviated pannier side hip cage, reminiscent of days gone by. McQueen filled the neck, sleeves, and inside the pannier with fake flowers that overflowed, much like the tapestries that filled the room.  

Although I have strong feelings about faux flowers, the final piece included both real and fake flowers that fell as the model walked, creating a floral trail. Set in the center of the Cirque d’Hiver, which Toulouse Lautrec loved to visit and sketch, the reclaimed wood stage harkened back to a Shakespearean in-the-round stage. An orchestra sat under the chandelier playing Handel’s Sarabande, complete with harpsichord, as the models passed through the center. 

McQueen created seven more collections until his tragic end. On February 11, 2010, he took his own life just days after his mother passed away. His final collection was only 80% complete at the time of his death and was due to hit the runway a month later. On May 8, at a closed and private showing, his final 16-piece collection was unveiled to a select audience.

His longtime friend and muse, Sarah Burton, took over the house after his death and led it until 2023, when she moved to Givenchy. McQueen had also served as the creative director of the French label from 1997 to 2001, before leaving to focus solely on his label. Today, the McQueen label continues under the leadership of Irishman Séan McGirr, part of the Kering, Gucci family of labels. 

Check out the video of the 2007 Haute Couture collection here.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDId5vLpgU4

Episode 268 - The real story behind Bastille Day

This Friday is the French national holiday known as La Fête Nationale du 14 juillet. In America, most people know it as Bastille Day, the day that they swarmed the Bastille prison to release the prisoners and tear it apart, or that is what most people think the holiday stands for. 

Let’s back up a bit, or 400 years first. Much like the original Louvre fortress, the Bastille was created to protect the city. Charles V added an arsenal and a bastide to his wall that encircled Paris.  The first stone was laid on April 22, 1370, complete with four towers; the fortress would eventually have eight towers, used for the treasury and later as prisons. 

In 1580, Henri IV and the Duc du Sully moved the treasury of France to the Bastille. Under the widow and regent, Marie de Medici, she would later spend all the money. The function of the Bastille as a prison dates back to 1469 under Louis XI, but it was Cardinal Richelieu in the 17th century who optimized the prison for his many enemies. 

Famous residents of the prison include the man in the Iron Mask, who entered on September 18, 1698, into the Bethaudiere tower, named for the man who jumped to his death during construction. After the arrest of Nicolas Fouquet under the orders of Louis XIV in 1663, he was moved to the Bastille on June 18.  Voltaire passed through the doors, and the artist Bernard Palissy, who created his distinct ceramic dishes, died in prison in 1589. 

 In July 1789, while tensions were high in Paris due to the people being fed up with the financial crisis affecting their pockets, people began to revolt. They would seek out guns and ammunition that the government strategically hid away. An angry group broke into Hôtel des Invalides to gather all the weapons and gunpowder held inside. They were outsmarted when over 250 barrels of gunpowder were moved the day before the Bastille. 

On the morning of July 14, a crowd of over a thousand men took to the Bastille. Demanding the release of the gunpowder and prisoners, the crowd grew angrier as these demands were not met. Gunfire rang out and the fight began. Cutting the drawbridge, killing people beneath it when the Royal Army arrived. Over 100 people died and in the end, the Bastille was emptied of all seven prisoners. Yes, you read that correctly, seven prisoners. 

Discouraged that their symbolic attempt realized four counterfeiters, a kidnapper, an accomplice in an attempted killing of Louis XV, and the Count of Whyte, whose family locked him up when he began to suffer from dementia.  Leaders were so upset that they only released seven prisoners that they made one up. The “Count of Lorges” was an “unfortunate old man who was loaded down with chains, half-naked, covered in hair and a long beard”. 

When word reached Versailles and King Louis XIV, he asked if it had been a revolt. Francois Frederic de la Rochefoucauld responded, “No, it was a Revolution”. Less than 4 months later, on October 5, Louis XVI, Marie Antoinette, and their family were taken from Versailles to Paris and their slow march to death. 

On July 15, 1889, Pierre Francois Palloy was given the contract to dismantle the prison. The stones were sold and used throughout France, including being carved into replicas of the prison; one such replica can be seen in the Carnavalet Museum in Paris.  Today in Paris, if you keep your eyes open, you can find a few of these stones.  In 1791, stones were used to build the Pont de la Concorde. One hundred years later, in 1899, as Paris was being transformed by the construction of the new Metro, the base of the Bastille would reappear and be unearthed. 

Just off the banks of the Seine at the Square Henri Galli, the tower base was rebuilt among the foliage. A short walk away, in the Place de la Bastille, where the prison once stood, stands a column in the center, commemorating the revolution of 1830. However, look down as you cross the street, and the outline of the original prison remains today, newly traced with brass markers in the recent revamp of the area. As you take the metro below your feet, look around; you may spot a few more stones. 

Although that’s where the 14th of July holiday got its start, the following year, in 1890, a grand feast and event were held on the Champ de Mars. The Fête de la Fédération marked the first anniversary of the Storming of the Bastille, and even the king and queen were in attendance. More than 14,000 soldiers marched from the Bastille to the Champ de Mars. In front of the crowd, the king took an oath to uphold the Constitution to the nation. Marie Antoinette stepped forward, and the crowd cheered and cries of Vive le Roi and Vive la reine filled the vast space. Over 400,000 people were in attendance, including Lafayette, captain of the Parisian National Guard. 

On March 21, 1880, Benjamin Raspail proposed July 14 as the date of the national celebration. On July 6, 1880, it was officially adopted, and the first military took place at the Longchamp racecourse. It is still held each year on the Champs-Élysées, the longest-running military parade in the world. 

Édouard Manet marked the very first celebration in a handwritten note to Isabelle Lemonnier, complete with watercolor tricolor flags.

Episode 267 - Notre Dame de Paris update

In the last few days of November 2024, as the space in front of Notre Dame once again reopened, there was only one thing I wanted to see: the Point Zero. Sadly, I was disappointed, that is, until yesterday.

Just a few feet away from the visitors' entrance, for one hundred years, a brass marker has been embedded in the parvis of Notre Dame. On April 22, 1769, Louis XV created a patent measuring all roads from a single point in Paris, known as Kilomètre Zéro. It took a bit longer for the marker to be added, precisely 155 years. In October 1924, after a decade of discussion, Georges Delavenne, the President of the City Council, laid the brass plaque at the center of the marker. 

The octagonal stone marker is engraved with Point Zéro des Routes de France around its edges. When all roads lead to Rome, the streets of France lead to Notre Dame de Paris. Fourteen national roads are measured from this point to all points of France. 

There are many superstitions and rituals associated with the medallion. Some people make a wish and toss a coin, while others believe that if they kiss their loved one standing on the marker, it will be a love that lasts forever.  

My favorite was to stand on the marker, spin around clockwise three times, and that means you will return to Paris. I would do this on the last day of every visit to Paris, but that all ended the night of the fire on April 15, 2019. For more than five years, the marker was hidden behind a fence and under protective flooring. The first chance we had to be close enough to it again, I had to find it, although it was still under a protective plate. 

On a sweltering hot morning in front of Notre Dame on July 1, I noticed a few men in bright orange vests working. As I got closer, I was excited to see that they were preparing the return of a new brass plaque. Once again, after six years, Point Zero has returned. The original medallion was removed after the fire and will eventually make its way to the Musée Carnavalt. The City of Paris Maintenance and Supply Center hoped to clean and reuse the original, but it was severely damaged and covered in lead.  Upon installation, the names of the craftsman were added below the medallion. 

After leaving the cathedral, I checked on the plaque, and there it was, as if a day hadn't passed, and not a single person paid any attention. Luckily, I don't have to spin around hoping I return to Paris this time.

My grandparents visited the marker in the early 1980s and snapped a photo. Have they stopped to spin around a few times? They did return many times after that. 

Towers 

Notre Dame also announced this week that the towers will reopen on September 20.

The two towers of the western facade date to the 13th century. Bishop Maurice de Sully, the creator and father of Notre Dame, died in 1196 and never saw the start or even the completion of the facade. Sully became the bishop of Paris in 1160 and immediately pushed for and funded the construction of a grand cathedral, the tallest in the world, on the Île de la Cité, where the chapel of Saint-Etienne stood. 

Construction of the western facade began in 1202. In 1223, the doors and just below the Gallery of Kings were completed, and the north tower began. For 17 years, slowly and day by day, large stones were pulled up the tower until the north tower was revealed in 1240. The south tower was built from 1235 to 1250 and topped with a terrace and balustrade, giving one of the best views of Paris and the roof of Notre Dame. One of my favorite photos of my grandmother is from the top of the south tower, and one I look at every day.

Eagle-eyed visitors may notice that the north, or sometimes called the big tower, is just a tiny bit wider than the south. Four feet wider, the width of one of the statues in the Gallery des Rois. Eight below the north tower and seven below the south. 

On the night of the fire, the flames reached the north tower, and that was the moment that everything became critical. The towers house the ten large bells of Notre Dame, eight in the north and two in the south. The bells of the north tower weigh a combined 18.3 tons, housed in the 19th-century belfry rebuilt by Viollet-le-Duc. As the flames neared the tower, the pompiers of Paris knew they had 30 minutes to contain the fire or lose the entire cathedral. Luckily, as we know, they did just that. 

Two of the eight bells, Saint Marcel and Saint Gabriel, were damaged by thermal shock, and a few of the rafters of the belfry on the SE side of the tower as well. All of the bells were removed from the north tower, and a significant restoration of the belfry was undertaken, including grafting and replacing the oak on the SE side. The entire belfry was lifted in February 2024, 11 ½ inches off the ground, to replace three of the large supporting pieces. 

Over the next two months, the work on the towers will conclude, and they will reopen to the public once again.  With a new layout and additions, the visitors' experience will be enhanced, allowing them to share a bit of the cathedral's history and the renovation process. Entering through the base of the south tower, the new oak staircase, designed by Philippe Villeneuve, Pascal Prunet, and Rémi Fromot, will link to the stone stairs, totaling 424 steps, to reach the summit.

The new double helix staircase of the south tower is the largest in the world. At nearly 70 feet high, the 178 steps weigh over 22 tons and are crafted from 1,200 pieces of oak. The entire structure was constructed inside the tower by 15 carpenters, three cabinetmakers, and one wrought iron worker over 9,200 hours. That is over one year of work, bravo to all those amazing craftsmen and women. 

Along the way, you will find a model of the cathedral, the story of Viollet-le-Duc and the 19th-century renovation, and a glimpse into the belfry, along with the story of the historic Emmanuel and Marie bells. From the top, a view of all of Paris is before you, and even a closer look at the roof and into the forest.

The descent will be from the north tower, with a few landings, and more of the story of our beloved cathedral.

The price of the visit will increase to at least 16€, and reservations will be needed in advance and available at the official Monuments of Paris website only, and available at the "start of September" (In French, that means just a few days before opening) 

Statues 

In an unbelievable stroke of luck, just four days before the fire, the statues on the roof were removed one by one. On April 11, 2019, the twelve apostles flew over the streets to head south for a bit of freshening up. The plan was to return them two by two to Notre Dame to be displayed before they were returned to their original location on the roof. 

In 1842, Viollet-le-Duc and Baptiste Lassus were selected to rehabilitate the grand lady. His early plan included the addition of two spires on t. The former spire had been removed in 1797 due to safety concerns, and an entire generation never knew the church with a spire. Following the renovation of Sainte-Chapelle, Viollet-le-Duc sought to add statues to the roof and consulted Adolphe Victor Geoffroy-Dechaume, with whom he had collaborated on the restoration of Sainte-Chapelle. 

Work began on the Apostles in 1848, and they were more than meets the eye. The inner structure was created with iron and then covered with copper sheets, making for a much lighter statue that could stand far above the streets. In the Périgeux offices of SOCRA, the statues arrived, and the work began. Many of the internal structures had to be partially replaced. Micro-sandblasting with apricot powder removed the outer layer of the patina. A dark bronze colored paint was added and coated with wax, and after a month of work, the statue was complete. 

There are 16 total statues, comprising twelve Apostles and four Evangelists. The apostles are created using four different body types, and Dechaume then made each unique with its head, hands, and attributes. 

For the past few years, the restored statues have been on display at the Cité de l’architecture et du patrimoine museum in the Trocadéro. 

On June 5, 2025, the statues finally arrived back at the base of Notre Dame, awaiting their return to their perch to once again watch over Paris and the cathedral. 

The lower open-work portion of the spire is still under construction. Ornamental workers are finishing the lead covering, which is expected to be completed within the next month. The scaffolding will then be removed, revealing the spire once again. 

On Monday, July 24, at 7:30 p.m., the statue of Saint Paul was the first to be returned to the roof.  Saint Paul, once a persecutor of Christians, had a divine revelation and converted, becoming a preacher. Killed in 64AD with a sword that cut off his head, he now rests his hand on a sword and strokes his beard.  

Hidden within the scaffolding, I can’t wait to see him once again, and all his friends return, and the roof return to the creation of Viollet-le-Duc once again. 

Episode 266 - Louvre Couture Exhibit - Fashion and Tapestry

Following the golden centuries of the Middle Ages and the Byzantine period, we enter the Renaissance, where the importance was on paintings, sculpture, and tapestries. King of France, François I, spearheaded the transition with grand châteaux in the Loire and brought Italian artists to France, including Leonardo da Vinci. 

The French Renaissance slowly began at the end of the 15th century and continued until the death of Henri IV in 1610—a period with a lasting impact, especially on the Louvre. François I ordered the construction of a new palace that would rival those of Emperor Charles V. His vision was continued by his son Henri II and through Henri IV. Architects Pierre Lescot and Philibert Delorme, along with sculptor Jean Goujon, defined the Renaissance, blending classical features and detailed ornamentation visible in the Lescot wing of the Louvre, steps from the exhibition.

With the Middle Ages behind us, we find several of the same elements in the Renaissance rooms. Beginning with a collection of tapestries that fill an entire room, designed just for them. Twelve large tapestries laid out before you date to the 16th century. Les Chasses de Maximilien tapestries depict each month of the year and are dedicated to the theme of seasonal hunting in Belgium. Artist Bernard van Orley designed the cartons between 1528 and 1533, and they were woven at the Dermoyen atelier. Unsure who originally commissioned the set, some sources suggest it was by the Habsburg family, specifically Holy Roman Emperor Charles V, his sister Mary of Hungary, or Their Aunt, Margaret of Austria. 

The central images by van Orley focus on deer, boar, or bird hunting, surrounded by the landscape of Brussels. Each of the twelve pieces represents a month of the year, starting with March, following the Julian calendar, which begins each year on March 25. A closer look at the trees in each tapestry reveals the astrological symbol at the top, which provides a clue to the month they depict. 

Van Orley also includes images of ceramic vases and open work baskets on the left and right edges, with palm trunks wrapped in garlands and flowers for each season. The lower edge, featuring divinities, sea gods, and sea creatures, is thought to be influenced by Raphael’s work in the Vatican, although van Orley had never been there. 

The influence of 16th- and 17th-century tapestries on fashion is still evident today on the runways of Paris and Milan. Capturing the style of the period in wool and gold threads, it is a natural leap to some of the biggest fashion houses and designers. The clothing in Maximilian's collection features puffy sleeves, jackets cinched at the waist, and a wide, almost bubble-like hem that is often open to reveal another color of fabric underneath. The three pieces in this room expertly capture it all, from one of my favorites to the one I have a difficult time even saying the name. 

As you enter the room, on your right is an outstanding design by Karl Lagerfeld for the house I shall not name. Each year, beginning in 2002, the house created a special Métiers d’Art collection, whose purpose was to highlight the superior craftsmanship and attention to detail of the house. While I have very intense feelings about the woman who started the label, it would be hard to overlook how beautiful this collection was every year under Lagerfeld. 

Each year, Lagerfeld chose a different period and location. Past collections were all titled Paris and then linked with a different place, starting in 2005 with Paris-Tokyo. Often, the show was held in the same city at a fantastic location that brought the entire collection to life. Three pieces from the 2010 Paris-Byzance collection were included in the first part of the exhibit, and a few more will be featured before we are finished. 

The piece before you was from the 2012 Paris-Edinburgh that includes Fair Isle sweaters, Scottish tweed, argyle prints, and details influenced by outdoor and hunting life. The show was held in the historic Linlithgow Palace, located in the center of Scotland, where Mary, Queen of Scots, was born in 1542. 

On a cold and snowy December night in the courtyard of the castle, the Scotland of the past came alive with exquisite detail. 

The look presented here features a white, almost translucent silk cigaline blouse with frayed edges at the shoulder, giving the impression of puffy sleeves that can be found in nearly every one of the tapestries evoking 16th-century menswear. The dress is made from a custom tweed by Lesage, featuring pleats similar to those found in sayon or cassock jackets and robes. The bubble-like hem is perfect with the tapestry of December just behind. The standout feature of this outfit is the necklace and belt, both created by Lemarié for the house, which are adorned with pheasant, pigeon, duck, and guinea fowl feathers, also featured on the gold-plated belt. On the runway, the model wore argyle black and grey tights, making it that much more Scottish.

The December tapestry is a special one of the dozen pieces, featuring the image of Ferdinand in the center, the grandson of Emperor Maximilian I. On a horse in a red sayon jacket, he leans toward the boar that has been caught by his greyhounds, including one in a fancy little coat. The trees are bare during this cold winter month, making it the perfect time to wear this incredible design by Karl Lagerfeld.

There is one name that can be found frequently in the exhibit, but few will know, and it is linked to the major French Haute Couture houses, appearing on numerous designs in the exhibit. The Maison Lesage began in 1924 by Albert and Marie-Louis Lesage. Marie-Louis has taken embroidery classes at the Michonet embroidery school, which was founded in 1858 and counted Charles Worth, the first Haute Couture designer, as a client. After purchasing the house in 1924, they renamed it Lesage. They collaborated with the most prominent designers of their time, including Christian Dior, Elsa Schiaparelli, and Cristóbal Balenciaga.

Albert passed away in 1949, and their son, Francois, successfully ran the company, placing a high importance on growing the skills of the Lesage atelier while maintaining a close link to the past and the art of embroidery. Francoise partnered with Yves Saint Laurent, creating one-of-a-kind designs that ranged from the edging of a dress to an entire jacket, including a recreation of a painting by van Gogh covered in sequins that required more than 650 hours of work. Hubert de Givenchy and Karl Lagerfeld collaborated with Lesage to incorporate metal details into a few pieces in the exhibit. The list goes on to include Thierry Mugler, John-Paul Gaultier, Christian Lacroix, John Galliano, and Christian Louboutin. 

In 2002, the company was acquired by Le19m, which Chanel owns, but it continues to collaborate with many other design houses. 

Many of the feather and floral details found throughout the collection originate from ateliers dating back to the 18th and 19th centuries. Maison Légeron began in 1770, creating artificial flowers in silk along with feathers that would adorn the courtiers of Versailles. In 1880, it was purchased by Louis Legeron and run until 2021 by his great-grandson, Bruno Legeron, when it was acquired by Le19m. Legeron created many of the most iconic flowers that have adorned Haute Couture designs from YSL to the heels of Louboutin. 

In 1880, the plumasserie atelier Lemarié was founded by hatmakers Palmyre and Lemarié Coyette. While hats were very much in fashion at the time, the custom flowers and feathers could all be created in-house by Palmyre. The company continued with grandson André Coyette until it was sold in 1996 to Parafecettio, later acquired by Le19m. 

Haute Couture isn’t just about fashion. It’s about dreams, fantasy, and the incredible craftsmanship created by hand. Much like art, and specifically the Objets d’art section of the Louvre, it’s those details — of a tapestry, a Palissy plate, the carved wood on a 17th-century armoire, or even a gilded reliquary from the 14th century —that are truly remarkable. Each and every thing you see is beautiful and created by an artisan skilled to bring it to life, and that is what you should take away from this entire exhibit

Steps away, the Undercover dress by Jun Takahashi is a blend of textures combined to evoke the Renaissance. Japanese designer Jun Takahashi founded his Undercover label in 1993, introducing high-end streetwear in Japan. By 2002, he debuted his spring/summer 2003 collection in Paris, bringing the audience to tears. His collections are a mixture of textures, distressed fabrics, embellishments, and hardware. The design on display in the Louvre is much softer than the menswear of the 16th century. 

The top is created by bonding fabric together to give it a more armor-like structure and an Elizabethan collar. Burgundy faux fur covers her forearms for a cool winter night, and the mustard silk organza honeycomb skirt is reminiscent of childhood easter decorations. Take a close look at the tights and the lower sock-like portion. Unicorns, angels, damasc and Renaissance reliefs, as well as engineering and molecular mapping, give that hint of streetwear Takahashi is known for. 

The Louvre paired the Undercover design with the September tapestry. Ruled by Libra and dedicated to deer hunting. The bat l’eau scene, a French term meaning that the deer has thrown himself into the water, thinking he would evade the hunters, while the dogs and hunters chase after him. Hunters and the nobles gather on the right and look on in very fancy dress for themselves and their horses. 

Many of the tapestries in the collection of twelve share a bit of the Belgian Sonian forest. The largest urban forest that stretches through Brussels, Flanders, and Wallonia, and is protected by UNESCO.  In the September tapestry, in the far distance past the lake, is the Ravenstein hunting lodge in the Groendaal Priory. Created at the start of the 14th century, holding the St Augustine monasteries. Sold off to Emperor Joseph II in 1787 and subsequently destroyed, the forest can now be visited through its long and beautiful hiking trails. 

The last design in this room is from a favorite artist and designer. 

Born in Casablanca in 1949, Jean-Charles de Castelbajac was drawn to military history at a young age. The fascination would transfer to fashion when he created a military jacket cut from an old blanket that John Lennon would later wear.

In 2002, his creations began to expand from the runways and onto the walls of Paris. With chalk in hand, he would quickly draw an angel and sign with a simple +. They started as keepsakes dedicated to loved ones. A love note to family and friends, sometimes with a message and a date that would eventually disappear.  I have come across these for years and would always snap a photo of them. Many only last a few days or weeks, and some find a hidden spot that protects them from the elements. 

I have seen his chalk art on everything from the Louvre to a gate at the Hotel Particulier in Montmartre. Castelbajac also does prints of his angels, including one he did on the night of April 15, 2019. As the news of the fire at Notre Dame de Paris spread, Castelbajac made his way to the cathedral to stand with the faithful. 

Coming full circle, Bishop Ulrich selected Jean-Charles to design the more than 700 liturgical robes that will be worn during the opening festivities and masses for decades. Castelbajac incorporated his signature primary colors with a whimsical and lighthearted response to the church's serious elements. 

Seeing this design by Castelbajac makes me happy on every visit. Created for his Autumn/Winter Pret-a-Porter 2010-2011 collection. The Go! Go! The Diva collection was a homage to Lady Godiva and featured many elements of the reinterpreted Middle Ages and Renaissance that he loves. 

Inspired by the Bayeux Tapestry, Jeanne d’Arc, and the strong women of the Medieval period. The design on display, featuring a tapestry-like fabric crafted by the Craye atelier in Roubaix, is then accented with faux fur. In true Castelbajac fashion, the whimsical addition of Bambi and his love, Féline. The “Medieval Camoflage Bambi” includes a faux fur headpiece in the shape of antlers, completing the Bambi look. Multiple pieces, including shoes, were created for the 2010 collection, such as a sequin-covered Bambi and a strapless dress.

Tied to the tapestries in a way only JCDC can, the large antlers can transfer to the August tapestry. Set again in the Sonian forest near the Les Etangs de la Patte d’Oie pond. A large deer is trapped in the thick bramble while a majestic stag is chased by dogs on the right side. The deer might triumph over the hunters in this one, spurred on by the adorable little Bambi. 

Episode 265 - Louvre Couture Exhibit - The Moyen Age part 3

The last room dedicated to the Middle Ages has a few pieces that always evoke few comments. From a 3D printed dress to a large bronze head that once walked the runway, this is a little strange, but also the closest link to the Middle Ages of any other pieces we have visited thus far. 

The bright blue, long-sleeved shirt by Loewe, at first glance, may look like something you can find at your nearest mall. Featured in the autumn/winter 2023-2024 runway men’s collection of Jonathan Anderson for Loewe, the model strutted the runway without pants and fur boots. A second piece from this collection is reflected in the Renaissance section. 

Irish designer Jonathan Anderson, who has also been named the new head of Dior, is a lover of the Middle Ages and mythology, and this is reflected in this shirt. The back of the shirt buttons from top to bottom, and under the shirt is a set of gold wings attached to the body by leather straps. That isn’t as easy to see on the mannequin, but it adds depth to the rather stunning piece. 

The small works of art in this room reflect the art of the reliquary. Created by the goldsmiths of the Middle Ages to hold precious pieces of the saints of the church. The first reliquaries of the early 2nd and 3rd centuries were more humble and placed in boxes or directly into furniture. The craftsmanship of the Byzantine period, along with the importance of holy relics, led to an explosion in the craft. 

First designed as sarcophagi or caskets that can be seen in Catholic churches today, they became more intricate, taking the shape of busts, feet, angels, and moonstones. Exquisite details on each of these, from the smallest statuettes of saints to the recreation of Gothic structures, to enamel and gems perfectly placed. 

On a marble column next to the Loewe design is a copper angel dating to the early 15th century. The Flemish copper figure once held a candle and is dressed in a long tunic with its wings coming out from its back. A winged reliquary once belonging to Anne of Brittany and a treasure of the Saint Esprit, dating to 1491, once held a piece of Saint Sebastian. Gilded silver and polychromed wood of his sweet little face, complete with rosy cheeks.

A majority of the exhibition is filled with Haute Couture, but here and there we find a few prêt-à-porter pieces. The house of Hermès is known more for its famous handbags than fashion, but we see a playful piece designed by Nadège Vanhée for the spring 2021 ready-to-wear collections. Capitalizing on Hermés' attention to detail, the horn and lambskin dress worn over a form-fitting silk knit dress that could be imagined on the beaches of the south of France. When the show opened, it featured an ivory-colored dress topped with a bone horn piece, and, like a few other items in the show, had changed due to the fragility of the fabric. Today, it retains the same look in chocolate brown, a slightly richer hue. 

The design is also reminiscent of the Medieval period and can be seen in the tapestry of "L'Adoration of the Magi" held in salle 525. Created in 1570 in Belgium by Franz Geubels, examine the clothing of the two standing figures closely. The theme of the Magi can be traced back to the beginning of the Middle Ages. During the last centuries of the Byzantine period, the theme and depiction of figures began to follow a single direction. 

Each figure represents an age and also a part of the world. Melchior, the oldest of the three with a beard, is always the one presenting the gold to the Virgin and represents the Orient. Gaspar, a middle-aged European magi, holds the frankincense, while the youngest Balthasar represents the African continent and is occasionally depicted with darker skin, accompanied by the myrrh. From the choir wall in Notre Dame to every depiction in the Louvre on canvas to tapestry, they always depict the three men in this fashion. 

The sculpture created by Iris van Herpen transcends the boundaries of fashion. The “Cathedral Dress” was first seen in the 2012 spring Haute Couture micro collection. Dutch artist Iris van Herpen spent her formative years reading, studying art and architecture, and surrounded by the churches of Northern Europe.  Graduating in 2006 from the Artez Art Institute, she worked for Alexander McQueen before creating her own house in 2011. 

Fascinated by nature photography and the microscopic details, she brings them to life in a way that is more akin to a constructed sculpture. In 2011, van Herpen used 3D imaging for the first time by a fashion designer, creating a dress that resembled a torso skeleton. 

Working with Materialise, a 3D printing company, the Cathedral dress was created and then placed in a copper electroplating bath to achieve the desired color, evoking the patinated copper often found in the great Gothic cathedrals of Europe. Look closely at every curve and bend, reminiscent of a skeleton of a body, just as much as the bones of a cathedral spire. This isn’t the last we'll see of the genius that is Iris van Herpen in the Louvre exhibit.

The perfect pairing with this dress is just a few short steps away. Within are a few of the beautiful reliquaries in the Louvre collection. It’s easy to glance over these, especially when you see one after another, but take one moment and look just a bit closer. A moonstrance is a reliquary that uses rock crystal or glass to display a relic of a saint and is often created to resemble the moon. The moonstrance we see here was likely created in Germany at the start of the 15th century. Flamboyant Gothic details in gilded copper, such as figurines, feature prominent Christian engravings. A spire holding the Virgin and child on the lid is topped with a crucifix with the smallest engravings. Below, two bells hang near gargoyles that guard the once-precious relic held inside. Other figures include the four evangelists, John, Luke, Matthew, and Mark. The six lobes at the bottom are also engraved with various scenes, including Christ carrying the cross, Christ between two columns, the Virgin and Child standing on a crescent moon, and the Virgin and the angel of the Annunciation. 

The link between van Herpen’s Cathedral dress is also clearly seen in another reliquary in the same case, this one complete with a rose window. A Flemish creation dating to the 14th century, complete with amazing small details. The center of translucent enamel evokes the Divine light of a Gothic cathedral, green on one side with John the Baptist in the center medallion and the Virgin and Child surrounded by blue enamel on the opposite side. 

At the top, the small figure with great detail is that of Saint James the Greater. One of the twelve apostles and closely tied to Saint Jacques de Compastela, the pilgrimage to Spain and the sight of his tomb. Often depicted holding his walking stick, carrying his bag, and wearing his hat bearing a scallop shell. You can follow that same shell through the streets of Paris, which will lead you to the Tour Saint Jacques and eventually to Spain if you feel adventurous. 

The last design in this room may raise a few questions, such as how you would wear this next design. The Daniel Roseberry spring/summer 2023 design for Schiaparelli includes a large bronze bust that wasn’t even the most shocking piece in the collection. Elsa Schiaparelli established her house in 1927, creating a style that combined the avant-garde and surrealism. While Roseberry stated that he never wanted to copy what she did, he did bring the shock value into the haute couture house and continues to push the limits almost a hundred years later. 

Before the 2023 show even began, famous faces walked the steps of the Petit Palais, making headlines on social media around the world before the catwalk even opened. Kyle Jenner stepped out of the car with a large tiger coming out of her chest, and Doja Cat was covered in head-to-toe red Swarovski crystals. This is precisely what Haute Couture is meant to do. Push boundaries, create fantasies and illusions, and in this day and age, flood social media. 

Inspired by Dante’s Inferno and the first canto, Roseberry brought the three animals met along the way from the pages to the runway. A lion for pride and violence, a leopard for lust and malice, and the she-wolf for avarice. Each of the heads was sculpted with foam and was unbelievably lifelike. The bronze head from the runway, which barely garnered any attention after the wild animals, is featured in the Louvre. A large bronze headpiece inspired by the Gaston Lachaise bronze statue in the Jardin des Tuileries. The Standing Woman was created in 1932 and placed in the garden in 2008, nestled under the canopy of trees near the Grand Bassin. 

The last form of religious reliquaries, and the most stylized, is often adorned with precious jewels and shaped like a bust of the dearly departed figure. The bust of Saint Ferdinand dates to the beginning of the 16th century, at least his head does. Beautifully decorated in silver, his tunic and crown are topped with eight florets and cabochons. Saint Ferdinand, king of Castile and León,n was born in 1199. Ferdinand’s reign was marked by his remarkable military victories and deep devotion to the Christian faith. He is especially celebrated for his pivotal role in the Reconquista, the centuries-long Christian campaign to reclaim Spain from Moorish rule.

Ferdinand was canonized as a saint in 1671 by Pope Clement X, a recognition of his exceptional life and virtues. His feast day, celebrated on May 30, serves as a reminder of the significant role he played in shaping the history of Spain and his lasting impact on both the Christian faith and the kingdom he ruled.

While Ferdinand’s rule was primarily focused on the military and religious spheres, his life was also closely intertwined with other European monarchs. He was the nephew of Blanche of Castile, the mother of King Louis IX of France, and the cousin of Louis IX himself. This connection to the French royal family further emphasized his influence within the Christian world of medieval Europe, linking him to one of France’s most celebrated saints.

Episode 264 - Louvre Couture Exhibit - Middle Ages Part Two

This area of the Objets d’art section of the Musée du Louvre is one of my favorites. Filled with reliquaries and items that once belonged to the kings and queens of France and many of the great cathedrals. In the center of the back room is the scepter of Charlemagne, don’t pass by without taking in this detailed masterpiece.

Other fantastic things to see in this room is a gold sweater and silk organza skirt trimmed with gold lace by Lebanese designer Rabih Kayrouz. At 16 he moved to Paris to study fashion and has a different approach when creating his collections by letting the fabric tell him what to do. In 2008 Kayrouz created his label and in 2019 he was awarded his Couture distinction with this collection. This ensemble was the last piece created for the autumn/winter 2019 collection and the sweater created with pieces of lace trim took 4 weeks of work by Cécile in his atelier. At the opening of the exhibit Kayrouz brought his beloved seamstress to see her piece of art inside the Louvre. 

On the same platform is Karl Lagerfeld’s piece from the 2010 “Paris Byzance” Metiers d’Art collection.The special yearly collection reflects the highest standard of art and skills using stones, feathers, embroidery and accessories.  Karl wanted to create a voyage between Paris and the Byzantium later known as Constantinople. 

Incorporating the details of cabochons and adornments that was the sign of wealth and power of the Byzantine era. Just beyond the mannequins to the case that holds the sword of Charlemagne, also known as Joyeuse. Elements of the handle were created as early as the 9th century after the death of the Emperor. First used for the coronation of Philippe II Augustus it would be used for every coronation ending with Charles X with the exception of Henri IV. 

The scrabble sheath from the late 12th century and restored several times is covered in purple velvet and embroidered with gold fleur-de-lis. Both pieces were modified by Biennais for the coronation of Napoleon when the velvet was briefly changed to green. Precious stones of the buckle and top of the shaft  have changed over time but can be seen in many paintings of the French rulers from Louis XIV to Napoleon. One look at the Karl Lagerfelf dress and the belt, the influence can be easily seen.

Don’t miss the simple  Yves Saint Laurent black velvet dress that appears to step right out of a medieval movie set. Created by the man himself that was a frequent visitor to the Louvre until the final weeks of his life in 2008. From the Autumn/Winter 1997-1998 collection The purple velvet dress is topped with a embroidered piece brought to life by the Lesafe atelier, a name found often in the exhibit. Reminiscent of a medieval crown much like the reliquary crown of Liège. A gift from King Louis IX, future Saint Louis to the Dominican convent of Liège in 1267. Behind each angel was a small box to hold a reliquary of a saint. The gilded silver is covered in precious stones, pearls and cut crystals and a stunning work of art. 

One more not to miss in this section is a dress that just begs to be touched. A white crumpled silk taffeta beauty from Charles de Vilmorin that evokes medieval ivory work. The 28 year old designer might be mostly unknown by many but his designs were featured in the opening ceremonies of the 2024 Olympics and filled the Galeries Lafayette for the 2023 Christmas season. 

One of the newest pieces of the entire exhibit, the dress was featured in the Autumn/Winter 2024-2025 collection, his second as a Haute Couture label. Inspired by ivory statuary like the nearby Descent of the Cross of the 13th century. Looking behind on the left side a small pouch was added when singer Chappel Roan wore the dress for a live performance in 2024.

The groundbreaking Louvre Couture exhibit continues to the center of a salle surrounded by large tapestries. The four mannequins in the center of the room are begging for a closer look. A souffle of green silk faille garners all the attention and the first we see of the John Galliano years of Dior.

The Autumn/Winter 2006-2007 dress was inspired by the 1942 black and white film The Devil’s Envoy by Marcel Carné set in 1485. The Medieval castle filled with courtiers spending hours at dances in period costumes in a trompette style. The headpiece features trumpets and the harlequin print, on the runway it extended down to the models feet. 

The entire collection has a bit of everything and his full inspiration was Joan of Arc, Boticelli, Siouxsie Sioux, French actress Arletty all mixed with a goth punk and medieval edge. Another dress from the collection that closed out the show is also featured in the exhibit and one of my favorites. 

Three other pieces round out this room, together they tell a story and individually they are spectacular and will share all the details in the coming days. 

To the left of the Galliano Dior is a coat by Belgian designer Dries van Noten. Descending from a long line of tailors the one time stylist blends a bit of European history with punk and a dash of Japanese influence in each of his collections. The spring/summer 2017 pret à porter looks included tapestries and textiles at times reproduced and printed on cotton like this coat and trousers. 

Belgium is highly regarded for the tapestries of the 16th century, a fact that was not missed by van Noten. While these four pieces are surrounded by tapestries, there is one in the collection that closely resembles the coat. Quite a few rooms away a large Bruges tapestry hangs and is rarely noticed. The Verdure à larges feuillages portant des oiseaux is a beautiful example, so lovely it was stolen by head art looter of WWII Herman Goering. 

The provenance of the piece states it was purchased by Goering in 1941 from Madame Meunier-Batifaud at the Charpentier gallery where it can be spotted in a photo. Goering had it shipped with other looted items to his home Carinhall outside of Berlin where it was discovered after the war by Rose Valland. It is currently in the Louvre collection awaiting the day the proper descendant can retrieve it. 

In the center of the Moyen Age section of the exhibit on one side we find the green souffle whimsical dress by John Galliano for Dior in 2006 and just behind a newer but classic silhouette of Dior.

This beautiful dress by Maria Grazia Chiuri from the autumn/winter 2018-2019 runway embraced the classic shape Christian Dior is known for. An intersection of feminine softness with a tiny nod to the founder.

The house of Dior can be found in each section of the Louvre Couture exhibit and features multiple designers in the house's history. Christian Dior himself opens the show with the Musée du Louvre dress from the 1949 “trompe l’oeil” collection which still displays the New Look he made famous in the golden age of Haute Couture. 

Coming out of the dark years of WWII, a return to glamour was needed. While some designers, one that was known for her collaboration with the bad guys, tried to continue her unstructured designs Dior knew women wanted to step back into femininity. The 1947 New Look featured small waists, structured bodices, more rounded shoulders in beautiful fabrics with flowing and narrow skirts. In the almost 80 years of the house of Dior and a succession, six designers have taken the helm, each have kept the New Look and the original aesthetics of the house in each of their collections. 

Chiuri has always found great inspiration in the art of the Louvre and entire collections have been inspired by paintings and sculptures held within its walls. For this 2018 dress, a 16th century Flemish  tapestry hanging within the Dior office was the inspiration for three pieces. The Concert which features figures surrounded by flowers and birds. The Dior atelier recreated the flowers printed on silk with hand embroidered animals and a few flowers including one close to the heart of founder Christian Dior. His beloved lily of the valley was added to give the 16th century design a one of a kind feature that Dior wore in his lapel every single day. 

The classic lines of this dress transports you back to 30 avenue Montaigne and in front of the master himself. Visit the tapestry that inspired it a short walk away in salle 509. 

The Louvre has more than 400 tapestries in its collection with a fraction of those on display. However the most well known tapestry is kept across the river in the Cluny museum. La Dame à la Licorne, or the Lady with the Unicorn is a set of six 15th & 16th century tapestries depicting an allegory of each of the five senses. 

The last design in this salle is a one of a kind coat by Marine Serre from her pret a porter autumn/winter collection of 2023-2024. The young French designer interned with Alexander McQueen before his death and later Dior and Balenciaga. Her first collection was unveiled in 2017 at just 26 years old and received the LVMH Young Creators Award. 

Her collections are often a mix of repurposed items and appeals to a younger market. The coat on display begs for a closer inspection. Serre found tapestries and rugs in a flea market in the south of France and created this amazing coat. The arms are made up of copies of the Lady with the Unicorn sight tapestry. 

Dogs, flowers, animals and a woman that could be a Manet model make up the panels of the coat. Serre wanted camouflage for a woman in an apocalyptic world. Under is a jumpsuit covered with her crescent moon icon, the same adopted by Henri II and Diane de Poitiers. 
The Louvre recently announced that the exhibition extended through August 24. 

Going to miss it? Check out my YouTube video and Podcast where I will share every single detail. 

Episode 263 - Louvre Couture Exhibit part one

The Louvre Couture exhibition is paired with the Objet d’Art collection that weaves through the Richelieu and Sully wings. Items that date from the Middle Ages and Byzantine period to the items once owned by the last Kings and Emperors of France give life to more than 100 pieces of fashion from 45 brands.

Curator of the Objet d’Art collection Olivier Gabet previously oversaw the Musée des Arts Decoratifs which held a monumental Christian Dior exhibit in 2017 that celebrated the house's 70th anniversary. If you saw this exhibit, you would never forget it, it was stunning and the precursor to the Galerie Dior museum which opened in 2022. With a history of blending fashion and decorative arts together, the Louvre as the largest and greatest museum in the world was a perfect place to hold an exhibit.

Truth be told when I originally heard a year before the Louvre was going to hold a fashion exhibit I was against the idea. There are more than 175 museums in Paris and plenty to showcase fashion. However, at the pre opening event surrounded by the designers and fashion big wigs the exhibition was unveiled and I was flabbergasted. One room after another, each more fabulous than the one before. A few items are even paired with the piece that inspired the designer and paints the story of how art imitates fashion without saying a word. 

 It has drawn visitors to a part of the museum that would never venture there before, unless lost.The Louvre like every  other museum in the world is trying to address the need to evolve programming within their walls to bring in younger audiences. Current director and first woman to hold the title since its opening in 1793, Laurence des Cars has been adding more musical, dance and theatrical events and to kick off the first ever fashion exhibit a Met Gala like dinner was held in March that made its way through social media. 

The exhibit has worked to draw a crowd and the rooms that are normally empty are bustling with people including many that only come to take photos of themselves. Gabet and Des Cars hoped that the exhibit would also appeal to Parisians that normally avoid the museum for fear of being trampled by tourists. 

The exhibit is split into four distinct sections beginning with the Byzantine and Middle Ages, followed by the Renaissance, Baroque and 18th century, and ending with the 19th century in the so-called Apartments Napoleon III. The fashion however dates mostly to the last twenty years with a few vintage accessories and a recreation of a 1949 Dior treasure.   

The exhibit runs through the first floor of the Richelieu wing and a portion of the Sully wing. Just past the elevators and opposite the Angelina Cafe. Standing tall on the mirrored riser is a reproduction of Christian Dior’s 1949 dress, Musée du Louvre. In just his third collection Dior drew inspiration from the Paris streets and monuments and named each piece after a beloved location. 

The black and white stunner named for the museum was purchased by Gala Dali, wife of Salvador who purchased it at the runway show on June 27, 1949 at 30 Avenue Montaigne.The dress remained in her collection and much too fragile and damaged to be used. Using the original drawing by Dior, notes and photos the dress was recreated in 2024 in the Dior workshop in Paris. 

White faille Française is adorned with black chenille flocking, wool and delicately studded with rhinestones and glass stones. Topping the mannequin is a hat also newly created by the Stephen Jones Millinery house in a style of Dior but not the one in the original sketch.  

The first section of the exhibit begins just through the large entry and features fashion inspired by the Middle Ages and Byzantine art. The two styles and periods overlap beginning in the 4th and 5th centuries and ending in 1453  with the fall of Constantinople. From some of the darkest moments in history to the high point that brought us Gothic cathedrals, gilded and bronzed items and carved ivory, it's one of the most notable periods of time that continues to inspire.

Byzantine art was a major inspiration for the designers before the turn of the 20th century. The first courtiers Charles Worth and Paul Poiret recreated the golden themes of Constantinople. Reliquaries covered in gold and precious stones, crowns and carved ivory pieces even hundreds of years later have their moment on the runways of Paris and Milan. 

Gianni Versace, Dolce & Gabbana, Yves Saint Laurent can cite specific exhibits and pieces that would go on to inspire an entire collection. 

The first dress you find as soon as you enter is a golden beauty by Gianni Versace. Created for the Autumn/ Winter collection of 1997 - 1998 which was also the  last collection of the Italian master. 

In May 1997, Versace visited the Met museum and the “Glory of Byzantium” exhibition and discovered a reliquary with a Greek cross that drew him in. In his final runway show on July 6, 1997 held within the Ritz the scene was set with the perfect backdrop of Greek columns  surrounding  the swimming pool. Models glistened in shimmering gold and silver fabric with topaz and beaded crosses. Nine days later, Gianni would be killed in Miami. 

For the gold metal sheath dress shared in the Louvre, Versace and his atelier worked for more than six years to create the perfect metal fabric that was thin enough to drape. They certainly mastered it in this dress and its lovely draped neck and the way it shines in the light as you move around it. 

The Louvre paired the Versace dress with an 11th century Byzantine reliquary that once held a piece of the True Cross. The gilded silver and copper box created in Belgium was brought from Constantanople by a Belgian prince returning to Liège from a crusade. Inside a piece of the True Cross that held Christ in the final moments of his life. Given to an abbey that later closed, it was transferred to a private collection and eventually donated to the Louvre on June 3, 1929. 

Viewing this exhibit isn’t just about the couture, it is just as much about the pieces of art surrounding them. A conversation between fashion, art and the viewer. 

Episode 261 - Art of the Transept of Notre Dame

The transepts of Notre Dame hold a few painted masterpieces including four of the May paintings. On the Northwest wall two episodes in the life of Saint Andrew. 

At the top, the Martyrdom of Saint Andrew by Charles Le Brun. The 1647 Les  May was painted when he was just 28 and a year before he created the Royal Academy with Anne of Austria, mother of Louis XIV. In 1664, Le Brun became the painter to the king and the  mastermind behind the decor of the Chateau de Versailles. 

Saint André, brother of Saint Pierre and disciple of Jesus, was known for being crucified on an X-shaped cross. Instead of placing him on the cross, Le Brun depicts the moments before as they have just ripped off his clothes and prepared him to be tortured.  André’s arms and legs are apart, recreating the cross as he looks up at the angel gazing at him with the palms of heaven. 

Just below is the moment before the death of Saint Andrew painted by Gabriel Blanchard le Neveu. The 1670 Les Mays, Saint André Quivering with Joy at the Sight of his Torturer. 

Blanchard is a defender of color and a follower of Rubens. He depicts the saint in the moments before his torture. Positioning his body in the form of a cross as he looks up to the man who will torture him. It is the largest of all the Mays created and perfect for the north transept.

In the center of each of the transepts are the wood door cases created again under Viollet-le-Duc. The angels with musical instruments at the top suffered damage when the fire and transept vaults fell and had to be recreated. 

On the North wall, notice how the light casts a shadow in the corner of the painting of the Adoration of the Shepherds by Jeröme I Francken. Painted in 1585 for the Eglise des Cordeliers and commissioned by Jacques-Auguste de Thou in memory of his father Christophe seen in red on the left. Many of the faces of the Thou family are featured as the adoring shepherds. 

On Easter Sunday 1982, an aerosol can exploded in the south transept and damaged chair and the lower corner of the painting, thankfully restored. 

Still waiting for the addition of the 14th Les Mays painting to arrive that will hang above. The 1693 Les Mays by Joseph Parcel depicts the Preaching of Saint John the Baptist. Once in Notre Dame from its creation to 1797 when removed during the Revolution to Versailles until its return by Napoleon in 1802. Since 1938 it has been in the Musée des Beaux Arts in Arras until its eventual return to Notre Dame sometime this year after restoration. 

The Liturgical platform represents the Last Supper

Baudin Chateauneuf, near Orleans, created the new platform after the original was destroyed the night of the fire. The 82 feet by 26 feet plateau weighs 110 tons and is made of a steel frame where 126 slabs create the steps and the 156 slabs of the top platform. Modern tech was added, including a sound system, electricity, and ventilation. 

Moleanos limestone and Hainault blue stone from Portugal and Belgium were carved in Suresnes. The entire piece was built before being taken apart and brought to Notre Dame, where it took two weeks to rebuild. It was finished by the end of summer 2024. 

Cathedral and seats   Guillaume Bardet, sculpteur et designer •
Barthélémy Art, fondeur • 2024

The archbishop chose a French designer from 69 artists who had submitted their designs for the new liturgical furniture. Made of bronze, the new altar and furniture represent the cathedral’s past, present, and future. 

The altar is located below the center of the transept and is topped with the keystone of Our Lady, which was destroyed when the spire punched through the vaults. In many ways, the church’s heart saw the worst damage the day after the fire. Who could forget the photo that emerged with the golden cross in the choir over the burnt remains on April 16? Piles of burned timber and stones that had made up the vaults since the Middle Ages had to be carefully removed and cataloged.

Bardet was chosen from 70 candidates and the only one that presented his idea in bronze. After a visit to the cathedral in 2023 and the sight of how light the stone was he knew he couldn’t compete with the color and a stone altar would disappear. Beside the altar is the ambon, the T like stand that is placed in a stone base that represents an open book, the support of the Divine word. 

Another item is placed as you enter the cathedral in a direct line to the altar, the baptistery. The bronze base is topped with a polished mirrored bronze to represent the river that baptised Christ. It’s only used once a year on Easter. 

The new liturgical plateau on which the altar is placed also had to be recreated. The Baudin workshop in Chateauneuf-sur-Loire constructed the Moleanos limestone and Hainault blue stone in stages. The metal frame also had to incorporate the state of sound and technology in the 2152 square feet space. Weighing over 110 tons, it was constructed off-site and built before it was dismantled and installed in Notre Dame, which took two weeks to complete. 

Madonna and Child, known as "Notre Dame de Paris"

Mid-14th century

This statue comes from a chapel Saint Aignan (eN-nee-youn)l in the former canons' cloister on the Ile de la Cité. In 1818, it was placed on the façade, on the Portal of the Virgin. It was placed in front of this pillar in 1855 and has since been prayed at "Notre Dame de Paris".

Mary is key to the Christian mystery of the Incarnation. The eternal Son of the Almighty Father becomes man: He was born of a woman. What is offered to the faith of every believer is a personal experience of Mary, to whom Jesus, on Golgotha, entrusts all disciples of the Church:

"Behold your Mother, behold your Son." Mary is the Mother of Jesus, the Mother of God, and the Mother of the Church

South Transept decoration 

Southwest wall

Plaque commémorative de la messe de fondation dite « de la Libération de Paris (25 août 1944)»

Plaque commemorating the founding mass of the Liberation of Paris (August 25, 1944)"

On the 25th the bells of Notre Dame including Emmanuel rang out. As the first notes were struck the churches of Paris joined in. Although the mass was actually the next day, August 26 in front of General Charles de Gaulle and General Leclerc. The Magnificat mass, reserved for special occasions like the reopening of the cathedral in December 2024 was performed while gun fire from revolting Germans continued just outside the doors and also high above the nave. 

Germans had entered the cathedral and were firing onto the crowd and several people were shot and injured. Bullets ricochet off the transept vaults leaving marks that were visible until the night of the fire. The priests and choir never stopped, they continued on with the mass as if nothing was happening. 

Statue de sainte Jeanne d'Arc vierge, co-patronne de la France (V. 1412-1431)

Charles Desvergnes,  sculpteur • vers 1920

In 1431, Jeanne d'Arc’s mother, Isabelle Romée, came to Notre Dame de Paris and asked that her daughter’s memory be given the weight it deserved. He sent a letter to Pope Callistus III, who in turn asked Jean Jouvenel des Ursins (chapel Saint Guillaume), the Guillaume Chartier, bishop of Paris, and Richard de Longueil, bishop of Coutances, to review her story. 

On July 7, 1456, a statement was released agreeing that the “sentences that concluded it are tainted by fraud, slander, malice and injustice. We declare that Joan is pure of these sentences and as far as we are concerned we purify her entirely”. 

Jeanné d’Arc was canonized in 1920, and the same year Charles Jean Cléophas Desvergnes was asked to create a statue of the Patronne saint of France.  Inaugurated May 7, 1921

Southeast wall paintings 

Top: Le Triomphe de Job ou Job rétabli dans sa prospérité

Guido Reni 1636. The Triumph of Job or Job returning to Prosperity

Seized by Napoleon in the first Italian campaign from the church of Santa Maria dei Mendicanti in Bologna, on the altar of the chapel of the silk workers guild. Brought in 1797 and exhibited in the Louvre in 1798. Moved to Notre Dame for the Te Deum under Napoleon on April 28, 1802, and given to the cathedral on February 25, 1811 

The scene is from the last episode of the Old Testament book of Job. He sits in a throne on the right, where he receives offerings and gifts from his family and friends to restore his wealth, and is awarded for his lasting faith during the many trials. 

The painting has been copied in drawings by many artists, including Fragonard in 1761. 

The stretcher the painting is on is very different from any others in the cathedral. The rounded top and sides are in a special self-tensioning chassis that can be easily adjusted. The springs had become very dirty and corroded over time and were taken apart and cleaned, and were a great find for the restorers. 

Bottom: 

 The Stoning of Saint Etienne by Charles Le Brun Les Mays 1651

The second of Le Brun’s paintings is held in Notre Dame. Saint Etienne was a key figure in the churches of Paris and the namesake of the first church on the Ile de la Cité, where Notre Dame now stands. 

Saint Etienne was condemned to death by stoning in Jerusalem, as seen on the left side of the painting. The first Christian martyr is on the ground while his executioner pulls his arm back to strike him, and bystanders look on. Etienne looks up to the angels, Jesus, and his father. The top 10 inches of the painting were created later and sewn to the canvas to match the approved dimensions.  

Episode 260 - The Rose Windows of Notre Dame

When Notre Dame was constructed in the 12th century, the cathedral was slightly smaller than what we see today. The nave chapels weren’t part of the original plan and were later added with the encouragement and deep pockets of the local guilds and wealthy families. 

Just as the western facade was complete, the clergy wanted the transept altered, especially the outer facades to complement the highly detailed front. The northern side was more open to view and was the first on the list. Jean de Chelles, the first of the named architects, planned to include a larger rose window and door between two Gothic decorative arches. 

De Chelles devised the initial plans for the south facade, which began in 1257 and was carried out after his death by Pierre de Montreuil. The south transept exterior has more delicate features, which added to issues that would have to be resolved numerous times in the following centuries. 

The first version of Notre Dame was very dark. In the 1250s, under Jean de Chelles, the two large rose windows became the most dominant features of the transept facades. Other than the rose windows, we know little about the Medieval windows. 

View of South Transept

The 12th-century windows were mainly donations from other churches. Abbot Suger donated a window of the Triumph of the Virgin. In the north transept, a grissale window with scroll work covered in plaster was discovered, and it is believed to be dated to the late 12th century. 

A Gothic cathedral is all about light, giving the appearance of lightness, and capturing the Divine light. The use of stained glass in churches began in the 12th century, and it helped tell the stories and lessons of the scriptures.  All one has to do is look up at the windows on a beautiful sunny day to see the colors paint the blonde walls of Notre Dame to see this effect in all its glory. 

In the Middle Ages, glass was never white but had more of a green and pink tinge. Next came the grissale glass, which allowed the light to go through, with a filter and varied tone, giving them life and light.  

The colors changed over time. In the 12th century, many of the striking colors we see today weren’t available in early glass. Yellow was used for gold, which wasn’t available for the next few hundred years. Cobalt blue, a mainstay and the color of the Virgin, was used prominently until the 13th century, when Manganese blue was a less expensive and more vibrant color.

Over time, the stained glass windows fell out of favor until Viollet-le-Duc took on the task of the most extensive restoration in Notre Dame’s history and returned color to the cathedral once again. 

The stained glass windows of medieval Notre Dame were removed entirely under Louis XV and replaced with clear glass,  except for the rose windows. Those changes were then again erased under Viollet-le-Duc. Not much is known of the original 110 windows except for the writing of Pierre Le Vieil, who was also a glazier in 1774. 

Viollet-le-Duc’s wish was to return Notre Dame to the art and color of the Middle Ages. The time when color was used on the walls and statues, before the stained glass became all the rage. Tapping the greatest glaziers and glass painters of the time, the stained glass of Notre Dame has been used as the pinnacle of decorative glass for many churches including similar windows in the Eglise Saint Germain des Prés. 

The transept rose windows. 

The first rose window appeared in the Basilique Saint Denis, north of Paris  around 1130 and commissioned by Abbot Suger. We don’t know the names of the first architects of Notre Dame in the 12th century but the names begin to emerge with Jehan de Chelles who was tasked with making the transept bigger then adding the rose windows allowing the Divine Light to enter the cathedral. 

It was in the year 1245 that De Chelles began the north window featuring sixteen petals and eight six windows relating to the Old Testament. In the center the Virgin sits with the Christ child on her lap. De Chelles used figures of the Old Testament including the prophets, Kings of Judah and Israel, judges, priests and patriarchs. Each with their head turned towards the Virgin they hold a scroll with their name. Only a handful of figures used and differentiated by their attributes and banner. 

The windows of the north side of the cathedral incorporate cool colors. The blue, greens and violet colors give more depth to the windows that are not lit by direct sun giving a depthness to the rose that is somewhat hard to see from the ground. The north window for the most part is filled with the original 13th century glass but there are a few additions added in the 18th century. Adolphe Napoléon Didron and Édoard Amédée replaced three windows with the Pharaoh's Dream of Joseph into the second layer and two medallions in the lower corners. 

With the western rose window at the entrance these two windows hold the largest amount of the original glass. The south rose window is another story, a tale of many chapters. 

The south rose was installed last, of the three. Beginning in 1258, the twelve spoke rose focused on the New Testament. De Chelles began the window and was finished by Pierre de Montreuil in 1270. In the center is Christ in majesty after his death. The four petal center also features the figure of each of the evangelists. The eagle of Jean, a young man of Matthew, lion of Marc and ox of Luc. Difficult to see from the floor of the cathedral.

Surrounding Christ posing against a blue background are seated apostles. The next layer are twenty four medallions of martyrs and confessors against red backgrounds. The third circle is doubled and the smaller glass windows are of standing female figures. Some stand in front of architectural arches and represent martyrs, wise virgins and foolish virgins. The trefoils around the edge include angels, some holding crowns or candles. 

A quick glance from the center of the transept of the church at each window a clear differentiation can be seen. The north window includes eighty one windows, while the south has eighty five. The two roses on close inspection are quite different. The south is more compact in size and the windows are smaller although the circumference of the two windows are the same. 

The south window has gone through many changes and restorations and the glass spans four periods of time. 

Guillaume Brice  in 1727 replaced a few of the 13th century windows into the second and outer ring including the Flight into Egypt, Judgment of Solomon and Annunciation. It is at this time that eight windows of the Life of Matthew were added dating to 1180, making them the oldest known in the Cathedral. 

North Rose Window

The wall of the south transept like the north was built in the mid 13th century, although the structure of the south wall had to be rebuilt and restored a few times. While Louis XIV carried out a complete change of the choir, it’s his grandson Louis XV that left his mark on the windows. With the urging and funds of Cardinal Noailles  in 1727 & 1728 the rose window was removed and the casings reinforced. This made it the perfect time for Noailles to add his crest into the center of the window replacing the 13th century Christ.  

Enter Viollet-le-Duc and his overall inspection of the cathedral which revealed just how damaged the south window was. The metal casings of each petal had bowed out and the glass was close to falling and had even broken in spots. 

The only answer was to remove all the glass, destroy the casings and rebuild the window. Viollet-le-Duc shifted the window to the right one petal creating a straight horizontal and vertical center. Eight of the windows were removed and replaced with new windows that matched the same figures. Two of the 13th century windows can now be seen in the Chapel Saint Guillaume in the southern chevet just steps away.

It was at this time that Viollet-Duc had the master glassmaker Alfred Gérente remove the central window of Noailles and create the window of Christ and the four evangelists. 

In 1856 a special commission was created to study the glass and colors of Notre Dame with Viollet-le-Duc. Hippolyte Flandrin that would cover the Eglise Saint Germain des Pres in color as well as his rival Eugene Delacroix and Victor Regnault of the Sèvres atelier, three men that really knew something about the use of color. Judging the early windows Viollet-le-Duc created and giving them the nod of approval. 

Just below each of the rose windows of the transepts are the galleries created under Alfred Gérente and a new addition in 1862. The south transept includes prophets with the four central holding up each of the evangelists. Isaiah with Saint Matthew, Jeremiah holding up Saint Luke, Ezekiel and Saint Jean and Daniel with Saint Mark. 

The north gallery finished in 1865 of the eighteen kings of Judah standing in front of a 13th century grisaille. The kings are also found on the facade, but that’s a story for another day. 

Episode 257 - Eugène Delacroix

Eugène Delacroix, the leader of the Romantic Movement, was born on April 26, 1798. His use of color and light was unnerving to the French artists when he first began, but he went on to inspire the Impressionists. 

Born to Victoire Œben, who came from a line of cabinetmakers on both sides of her family. Her father, Jean-Francois Œben, was the favorite cabinetmaker to Louis XV, XVI, and Marie Antoinette. Lawyer and politician Charles Delacroix moved the family from outside Paris to Bordeaux, where he served as Prefect until his early death in 1805. 

Eugène, the fourth child of the family, was just five when he lost his father. Older sister Henriette was born in 1782, and brother Charles Henri was born in 1779. Another brother, Henri, was killed at 23 in Napoleon’s Battle of Friedland. After the early death of his father, young Eugène and his mother moved to Paris to live with his sister, who had married Raymond de Verninac, a Swedish diplomat who later sat for Jacques-Louis David. 

In Paris, Eugène attended the Lycée Impérial, now named the Lycée Louis-le-Grand in the Latin Quarter. His cousin and artist Henri Riesener introduced him to Neo-classical artist Pierre Narcisse Guerin in 1815, under whom he began to study. Alongside artists Ary & Henry Scheffer, Léon Cogniet and Théodore Géricault. The next year, in March 1816, he enrolled in the École des Beaux-Arts, still studying under Guerin and also as a copyist in the Musée du Louvre. 

Not the most patient of artists, when it came time to wait for the paint to dry before applying the varnish, he was often criticized by most of the serious artists of the time. In 1825, a visit to England opened up his creativity with the inspiration of the stage and the written word. Shakespeare’s Hamlet, Faust’s Goethe, and Lord Byron found their way into his art and even gave him opportunities to illustrate books and sheet music. 

While he may have been trained by a Neo-Classical artist, he retained little of the style’s values and forged his own path, which Géricault, the first king of the Romantic period, also inspired. 

When Delacroix saw Géricault’s masterpiece Raft of the Medusa and even posed for one of the figures, he ran through the streets, excited at what he had seen. It was 1918, and at just 20 years old, he had a long career ahead of him.  Ingres, who was holding the reins of the Academy tightly, clashed with Delacroix, and these artists clashed with these nutty ideas that were starting to spread through Paris. However, Romanticism was seen long ago in the 16th century and was influenced by Rubens. 

Like Géricault, Delacroix was painting horses in the 1920s, although his paintings of large wild cats are more well-known now. In 1824, his first painting to be submitted to the Salon was a scene of the April 1822 Massacre of Scio, of the Turks killing the inhabitants of Scio, and a major moment in the fight for Greek independence. Since he had not been there, he spent his time in the National Library researching Greek costumes to set the scene as accurately as possible. 

His most recognized painting is La Liberté Guidant le Peuple, painted in 1830 for the Salon of 1831, and is now proudly on display in the Musée du Louvre. But let’s rewind and see what this painting is all about. 

More than one revolution marked the timeline of France. Most know of the big one that resulted in the beheading of Marie Antoinette & Louis XVI, which began in 1789. Four decades later, the people would rise up again against the brother of Louis XVI. Charles X had taken the throne after the death of his brother Louis XVIII on September 16, 1824. Things would get worse for Charles in 1830 when, on March 18, he dissolved the Parliament, and as the press spoke up against him, he censored them on July 25. 

On Monday, July 26, more than 50 newspapers were forced to stop the presses. The next morning, the owners gathered and vowed to fight back. As the police arrived at the newspapers’ offices to take their presses and newspapers, they found the workers waiting and screaming. By the afternoon, the editors, owners, journalists, and printers began to march into the center of Paris. The Place Vendome, Place de la Bastille, and the Place du Carrousel saw large crowds of outraged citizens whom the police were no match for. 

On July 28 in front of the Hotel de Ville, the Garde Royal was quickly outnumbered. The angry crowd gathered every cobblestone and projectile to build barricades and also tossed them at the police force. At this moment, 32-year-old Eugene Delacroix was just down the way at his studio at 15 Quai Voltaire and was moved to capture this penultimate moment of the Trois Glorieuses Jours. 

Delacroix’s good friend Théodore Gericault had just three years earlier painted the monument Raft of the Medusa. The current event painting won plenty of fans and skeptics. History paintings were deemed the pinnacle of all art styles in the lexicon of art, but they rarely were painted so close to the moment of the event. Delacroix said, “If I can’t fight for my country, I will paint for it,” and he did just that. 

For three months, he sketched and painted from September 20 to mid-December 1830. An astonishingly quick period to create such a large piece, and brought the entire moment to life. Displayed in the Salon of 1831, under the title Scenes de Barricades, it was met with a wide mix of criticism. Many thought the allegorical woman was dirty, displaying her hairy armpit and filthy feet, while the nude man and his visible pubic hair were right at eye level. 

The entire scene was one of the lower and upper classes and men of all ages united. This was exactly why the Three-day Revolution is marked as such a defining moment in French history, as told in art and remembered by the July Column in the Place de la Bastille. It was the mix of all classes that stood up against the monarchy. While the first Revolution began with the poor vs the monarchy, the July Revolution saw all classes in arms together. 

At the Salon of 1831, the State purchased the painting for 3000 francs, but it was only briefly displayed in the Musée du Luxembourg. Adolphe Thiers was worried it would inspire another uprising and had it removed and returned to Delacroix in 1832. The painting hid away in the Val d’Oise with his aunt Felicité Riesener until 1848, when it returned to Luxembourg. It was hidden until the 1855 Universal Exhibition, when he also had to darken her cap. Special permission had to be obtained for the exhibition after the painting went back into storage. 1863 when it was finally returned to the public, it was too late for the master to see it hung; the father of the Romantic movement was gone. In 1874, it finally moved to the Salle Mollier of the Louvre, where you can still see it today. 

One day, another artist, Frederic Bartholdi, visited the Louvre and saw our lovely Delacroix Liberty, which inspired his very own design. Today, Delacroix’s well-known painting has been copied onto clothes, reimagined in billboards, inspired other artists to adopt it as their own, and projected onto the side of a plane, and even my beloved Swatch watch. She is brought out every 14 juillet and any other moment of immense French pride, and I always smile when I see her. 

In 1832, Delacroix was one of the very few artists invited to visit Morocco and Northern Africa, where he had a chance to see firsthand the Orient that would inspire his next period. Most artists recreated stories on canvas without ever setting foot on the continent, but Delacroix was even invited into a harem to sketch scenes that few men were able to see. He filed numerous journals and created over 80 paintings, including the Women of Algiers in the Apartment that hangs in the Louvre. Picasso went on to copy it numerous times. 

Well known for his large murals in churches and government buildings, he believed artists should devote their time to large tableaux in public places, as that was the way to be remembered. His frescos would be added to the Assemblée Nationale, Palais du Luxembourg, and, of course, Eglise Saint Sulpice. 

 In 1850, architect Félix Duban, who was restoring the Galerie d’Apollon, asked Delacroix to paint the center of this grand room. At the time, the only way for an artist to hang in the Louvre was ten years after their death. Delacroix loved the Louvre and dreamed of seeing his paintings hung there; with the paintings of the Galerie d’Apollon, he would fulfill that wish. Friend and author Charles Baudelaire said, “Delacroix was passionately in love with passion, but coldly determined to express passion as clearly as possible” after seeing his finished painting on the ceiling in the Louvre. 

In 1849, he was commissioned to paint the baptismal chapel of Saint Sulpice. Before he started, it was changed to the Chapel of the Angels and given free rein to paint anything he wanted as long as it included angels. The two frescos were painted with wax added so the colors would remain vibrant even a hundred years later. On the left of the chapel is Jacob Wrestling the Angel, and on the right is Heliodore Expelled from the Temple; each was painted directly on the wall and took over ten years to complete when commissioned. Saint Michel is painted on a canvas high above and added when the frescos were complete. 

Delacroix was never married, but he did have a few relationships with married women over the years, many of whom were also artists, including Eugenie Daltin and Elisa Boulanger. He did have a loyal companion and friend, Jenny Le Guillon, whom he hired in 1835. She would remain with him until the end of his life, cooking, cleaning, and caring for the artist who was happiest in front of his easel. 

While painting the frescoes of Saint Sulpice, he wrote to a friend that this project would kill him. Sadly, he died after a long illness on August 13, 1863. His funeral was held on 17 August at the St-Germain des Prés church, and he was buried at Père-Lachaise.

 In his will, he asked to be buried in the heights of Père-Lachaise in a place somewhat removed, “there will be neither emblem, bust, or statue”. The subtle dark volcanic tomb in the shape of a sarcophagus, like that of Scipio the Roman general and bearing only his name, is understated, much like the man.

 In the Jardin du Luxembourg, under the shade of the trees, pull up one of those green chairs to Jules Dalou’s Monument to Eugene Delacroix, dedicated by his supporters in 1890 and topped with a bust of the great artist, a short walk from his beautiful work in Saint Sulpice.

Episode 256 - The Apse Chapels of Notre Dame, Part Four

This week we finish our series on the last chapels in the chevet of Notre Dame de Paris. The chapels of the chevet are a reminder of what the cathedral used to be. The colorful painted walls, ribs and ceilings, stained glass and 19th century sculptures much of which was created by Viollet-le-Duc are still found in the back of the church. Stripped away from the nave by former bishops we can imagine what the entire cathedral once looked like.  

The chapel of Saint Guillaume is named for the saint and former archbishop of Bourges and canon of Notre Dame at the end of the 12th century. However, visitors are always drawn to another gentleman within the chapel. On the left wall is a large sculpture by Jean-Baptiste Pigalle in 1776. 

Claude Henry Comte d'Harcourt served as a lieutenant general in the army of Louis XV and died on December 5, 1769. On July 1, 1771 the widow Harcourt commissioned Pigalle to create a theatrical piece titled the “Conjugal Reunion”. She had very specific instructions on how it would look that had come to her in a dream.  At the end of the sarcophagus will be the guardian angel of the lord. In one hand he holds the torch of their marriage while the other opens the tomb. The count seeing this countess pulls himself from his tomb and reaches for his wife who is on her knees below in prayer. Standing behind is Death holding an hourglass showing that her time has come. The Count also closely resembles the statue of Voltaire that Pigalle created in the Louvre. 

During the Revolution the cénotaph was moved to the Museum of French Monuments but not before the bronze elements were stolen. In 1820 it finally returned to the cathedral and was partially restored by Claude André Deseine. 

Another cénotaph can be found in the chapel, but sadly did not survive the Revolution as well as old Harcourt.  Kneeling in prayer to the right are the statues of Jean Jouvenal des Ursins and his wife Michelle de Vitry. Jean was born in 1360 in Troyes and studied law which lead him to the Parliament of Paris. Michelle and Jean had eleven children who commissioned the tomb for their parents. 

Each once stood on their own base engraved with their names with a painting hanging above. The Saved during the Revolution but only after they lost their heads and the bases were destroyed. The family once lived just two blocks from Notre Dame on what is now named the Rue des Ursins.

Hanging against the painted wall of fleur-de-lys that also resemble corn is a large bronze crucifix by Edmond François Lethimonnier in 1850. A gift to Notre Dame at the baptism of the Prince Imperial, son of Napoleon III from Pope Pius IX. 

The next chapel is named for Sainte Marie Madeleine and three episodes of her life  are painted on the wall by Viollet-le-Duc. On the left she washes the feet of Jesus with her tears and dries them with her hair. On the right is Mary seeing Jesus in the garden just after he has risen and in the center is her death. All of the paintings of the chapels have been beautifully restored over two years. 

The cénotaphe of Mgr Marie Dominique Auguste Sibour is one that has always stuck with me from the first time I saw him years ago. Sibour was the archbishop of Paris from 1848 until his tragic death in 1857. Kneeling in prayer with his eyes to the heavens, the marble statue was completed by three successive sculptors. Begun by Jules Dubois it was completed after his death by Joseph Lescombé and Joseph Marius Ramus. Finished in 1868. 

Born in France and studied in Rome before returning to Notre Dame to officiate the wedding ceremony of Napoleon III and Eugéne in 1853. 

On January 3, 1857, the feast day of Sainte Genevieve, the bishop was performing the ceremonial mass of the patron saint of Paris when a former priest, Jean Louis Verger that had been sanctioned by the diocese lunged onto the altar and stabbed the bishop in his heart, killing him instantly. Verger was tried and killed just 27 days later. 

The next chapel isn’t named for a saint but for the Anointing Oils held in the beautiful red cupboard designed by Viollet-le-Duc. 

However, don’t skip by this one or you may miss the story of the other patron saint of Paris, Saint Denis. Painted on the wall his life is told by Viollet-le-Duc which may be hard to recognize as Denis still has his head attached. Saint Denis has his own chapel in the south nave but very plain and without his story. 

On the left  Saint Denis and his fellow priests Saint Rustique and Saint Eleuthere in the moment before they are about to lose their heads. In the center their apotheosis and to the right the order of the saints being sent to Paris to convert people to the church. 

The cénotaph of Mgr Dnys Auguste Affre is another with a tragic story. Born in 1793 and named bishop of Paris on August 6, 1840. During the Insurrection of 1848 hoping to calm the crowd the bishop visited the barricades on the Rue Saint Antoine. After successfully calling for a cease fire he climbed the barricades where he was shot. It was June 25 and he was taken to his home on the Ile Saint Louis where he spent 32 horribly painful hours before he died at 4:30 am on June 25. 

His cénotaph created by Auguste Hyacinthe Debay in 1860 shows the bishop reaching up and pointing towards a message, “May my blood be the last to be spilt”. The bishop is shown below in relief trying to calm the rioters.

The stained glass by Alfred Gérente from the design of Viollet-le-Duc is topped with the coat of arms of the bishop and a medallion of a pelican, a symbol of the Eucharist. 

Episode 255 - The Apse Chapels of Notre Dame - Chapel Sept-Deuleurs & Saint Georges

As we continue our walk through the history of each of the chapels of Notre Dame we have reached two of the most important and also the most beautiful.  Normally the central back chapel is dedicated to the Virgin in most cathedrals but in Notre Dame the most important relic of Christianity resides here. 

The Chapel Notre Dame de Sept-Deuleurs is named for the one thousand year old organization that protects the Crown of Thorns and the relics of the Passion. In the center is the new gleaming reliquary created for the Renaissance of Notre Dame. 

In 2005, Cardinal Lustiger asked artist and architect Sylvain Dubuisson to create a new reliquary for the Crown of Thorns. The project died when the Cardinal did, and Dubuisson shelved his idea.  In 2023, Bishop Ulrich called out of the blue and asked the artist to pick up where he left off. 

Dubuisson researched the history of the Crown, from its origin to the reliquary church of Sainte Chapelle, created for it and channeled Abbot Suger, the father of Gothic churches. 

The wall is made of cedar to emulate the True Cross; cut into the wall are three hundred sixty openings, each holding a gilded bronze thorn. The gilded gold is reminiscent of the Byzantine churches where the Crown of Thorns was kept in the 5th century. 

The openings are more significant at the top than at the bottom, allowing natural light to stream in. In the center are  396 glass cabochons, each etched with a cross and backed with 24-karat gold. When on view, they surround the Crown of Thorns, which hangs over the Klein blue center, which frames and glows in the light. 

Standing just over 11 feet tall, the center was placed above eye level to be viewed from every angle. The three-ton sculpture sits on a Carrera marble base that holds a safe where the Crown lays when not displayed and is topped with one hundred LED “candles.” 

Dubuisson worked with the Atelier Saint Jacques, Fonderie de Coubertin, Glassmaker Olivier Juteau, Light Sculptor Patrick Rimoux, and the Atelier de Rocou for the gilding. The entire team worked simultaneously, and the project took over 4700 hours to complete. 

The Crown of Thorns is venerated each Friday during lent from 3 pm to 5 pm and on Good Friday from 10 am to 5 pm. 

The two walls of the chapel are decorated with frescos much different than any other in the cathedral. On the left wall is the mural of the Life of the Virgin by Auguste Perrodin painted in 1870 after the restoration of Viollet-le-Duc. To read the story start at the bottom left with Jesus bearing the cross, Christ on the calvary in the center and on the right the Descent of the Cross. In the center row the Death of the Virgin on the left and Communion of the Virgin on the right and at the top the Coronation of the Virgin. 

On the south wall; the oldest fresco of the cathedral dates to the 14th century. The mural reflects the Virgin welcoming the soul of Simon Matifas de Bucy, bishop of Paris from 1290 to his death in 1304. Bucy succeeded the Bishop Maurice de Sully whose ambition and money built Notre Dame de Paris. 

The Virgin is surrounded by Bishop Bucy and on the right Saint Nicaise de Reims the martyred saint that also lost his head and carried it to his tomb, much like our patron saint Denys. Thankfully the fresco was saved by Viollet-le-Duc under the 19th century restoration. The cénotaph of Bucy was once part of the mural and later moved to just below the cross and pieta. 

The stained glass windows capture the first sun of the day and are each attributed to a different artist and were each created using the 14th century techniques in stained glass design. The first window on the left by Nicolas Coffetier was finished in 1884 and tells the story of Sybylis and the Prophets announcing the coming of the new reign. 

The center window beautifully lays out the Life of the Virgin by Antoine Lusson in 1855 when he was just 15 years old! On the right the Pilgrimages to Notre Dame by Alfred Gérente after the original design by Louis Steinheil in 1855. 

On either side of the chapel are two ceénotaphs of the Gondi family. On the left Albert de Gondi, maréchal de France and close to the family of Henri II. Born in Florence on November 4, 1522, his mother was close to Catherine de Medici and moved with her to France upon her marriage to Henri II in 1533. Becoming a close advisor he negotiated the marriage of their son Charles IX to Elisabeth d’Autriche in 1570. Upon his death on April 21, 1602 he was given a lavish ceremonial funeral and buried in the cathedral. 

Albert, on his knees in prayer, looks towards his younger brother Bishop Pierre Cardinal de Gondi. Born in 1533 and served as bishop of Longres in 1565 before being named the bishop of Paris in 1598. Like his brother he was close with the royal family including Henri III and Henri IV and is featured as one of the cardinals in the Rueben’s paintings of the Coronation of Marie de Medici in the Louvre.  Pierre stepped aside in favor of his nephew Henri taking the role as bishop in 1598. The Gondi family held a tight grip on the title including three more named bishop of Paris. Six are buried in Notre Dame de Paris. 

The next chapel is dedicated to Saint Georges de Lydda. A martyr saint that lived in the 3rd century. Born around 275 in the Roman Empire his story lives on from the Golden Legend by Jacques de Voragine, written in 1265. 

Georges, traveling on his white steed to the city of Siléne that had been terrorized by a dragon that was devouring every animal and two teenage girls a day. The day Georges arrived the king’s daughter had been chosen in a random draw. Georges sprang into action and confronted the dragon and killed him just in time to save the princess.  In appreciation the town converted to Christianity but Georges later met a horrible fate when he was arrested, tortured, his skin scalded and peeled but survived. A few days later on April 23, 303 he was beheaded. There are sure a lot of beheadings in the history of the saints. 

The statue on the left side of Saint Georges was created by Joseph Lescorné in 1855. Georges is pulling his sword from behind his back just before he kills the dragon. On the right wall you can see his story painted in the fresco by Louis Steinheil in 1862. 

The stained glass windows are three of the best in the entire cathedral. Again created in the style of the 14 the century with its individual stories and lots of color. When looking at windows like this, the rule is to start in the bottom left corner then read the story across to the right then up and then towards the left, up and to the right, ending at the very top window, following the story in an S shape. 

The windows behind Saint Georges tells the story of Louis IX, better known as Saint Louis, including when he purchased the Crown of Thorns. The center window for Saint Etienne who is closely tied to Notre Dame and the name of the first chapel that once stood on the Ile de la Cité in this very place. A martyr saint, he was killed by being stoned and can be found in the glass.  

The last window is the story of Saint Eustache who lived in the 2nd century. A Roman general he was hunting in the forest and came across a stag with a cross stuck between his antlers. Christ spoke to him and called him to the church and was baptized with the wife and sons. The beautiful Saint Eustache in Les Halles has many reminders of the stag and cross just as the lower right window also has. All three windows were done under Eugène Oudinot after the works of Louis Steinhel in 1862.

Unlike the great restorations of Notre Dame in the 18th and 19th century the Renaissance after the fire was not to add structural changes but to return it to the vision of Viollet-le-Duc. From the viewpoint of Philippe Villeneuve and the two thousands workers that was the plan although the Bishop and the Church had other ideas for the inside. 

Many of the chairs of the nave and the liturgical furniture of the altar was destroyed the night of the fire and needed to be replaced. Although they made a few other changes by pulling many of the decorative features out of the chapels. The candlesticks, crucifixes and reliquaries are gone and the chapels of the nave are very sterile, however there is a few additions in this chapel I am ok with. 

At the edge of the chapel are three reminders of that horrible night 6 years ago this week. Just below the statue of Saint Georges in a glass case is a crucifix that was designed by Viollet-le-Duc that was on the choir altar the night of the fire. Molten lead dripped from the roof onto the crucifix, a stark reminder of that night. It sits alongside a shiny helmet of the French Pompiers, the true heroes of that night. Behind is a replication of the plan the fire commander drew up to deal with the fire. 

The center holds one of the most important of that night the beloved rooster that looked over the cathedral for more than 160 years and crashed into the cathedral on April 15, 2019. 

The rooster is a symbol of France dating back to the 5th century BC. A symbol of protection, vigilance, and hope, it was added to the churches and often functioned as a weather vane, as is the case at Notre Dame. The original spire of Notre Dame was built in 1250 and topped with a rooster. In 1606, the rooster with its relics fell in a wind storm but would be mended and returned until 1744. During the Revolution, the spire cracked from the base was removed, and the relics were safely tucked away. 

A new spire and rooster were created under the restoration of Viollet-le-Duc and Lassus in 1858. Artist Adolphe Victor Geoffroy-Dechaume designed a new rooster of gold-gilded copper weighing 66 pounds and installed it on June 22, 1860.

The relics of Sainte Genevieve and Saint Denis were again added to a rooster, this time with a piece of the Crown of Thorns personally placed by Viollet-le-Duc. In 1935, the rooster needed a new shiny golden coat, and for the next 84 years, the rooster would spin with the wind high above the Cathedral. 

On April 16, 2019 all hope returned when a photo was published of head architect Philippe Villeneuve holding the banged up rooster in his arms and the relics were saved and replaced in the new rooster that returned to the top of the new spire on December 16, 2023. 

The last opening has photos of the most important people, the craftsmen and women that brought our cathedral back to life. For over Five years the living breathing stone monument was their baby. Working six days a week stone masons, ornamental artists, painting restorers, construction workers, crane operators and twenty seven other specialties gave their blood, sweat and tears to hand her over to the world. Their group photos sit over a beautiful photo of General Georgolin that came out of retirement to head the project and would tragically die in an accident a little over a year before the reopening. 

While the church is made up of stories of Saints, Bishops and the Virgin Mary it is the name of the over two thousand workers that are the true heroes of the construction project of the century.

Episode 254 - The Apse Chapels of Saint Louis and Saint Marcel in Notre Dame

As we continue our voyage through the details of the chapels of Notre Dame, today we visit the chapels of Saint Louis and Saint Marcel. Two important saints in the history of Paris, one for the Crown of Thorns and the other for slaying the dragon of the Left Bank. 

Louis IX, king of France, was born on April 25, 1214, in Poissy and ruled from November 8, 1226, until his death on August 25, 1270, in Tunis during the Eighth Crusade. He was canonized by Pope Boniface VIII on July 11, 1297, and his feast day is celebrated each year on August 25. Revered for his piety, justice, and devotion to the poor, Saint Louis left an indelible mark on French history and the Catholic Church.

In Notre-Dame de Paris, a chapel was dedicated to his memory—designed by architect Germain Boffrand under the direction of Cardinal Louis Antoine de Noailles. Originally composed of three chapels—Saint Martin, Sainte Anne, and Saint Michel—it became a richly decorated space honoring saints, royalty, and notable ecclesiastics.

High up on the left wall are the figures of Saint Denis, Saint Rustique, and Saint Eleutherus, all third-century martyrs, sculpted by Claude Anthime Corbon around 1864. Corbon, a fascinating figure himself, began as a printer before becoming a sculptor, politician, mayor of the 15th arrondissement of Paris, and a notable participant in the Paris Commune.

The chapel’s walls are adorned with murals based on designs by the famed restorer of Notre-Dame, Eugène Viollet-le-Duc, dating to around 1864. The murals of the left wall depict devout royal women such as Saint Clotilde, queen of the Franks and wife of Clovis, who helped convert the kingdom to Christianity in the late 5th century, and Saint Radegonde, also queen and wife to Clotaire I, son of Clovis, who later became a nun and saint. Also represented is Blessed Isabelle of France, Louis IX’s sister, who was a Poor Clare nun and founder of a monastery just outside Paris. Another notable woman depicted is Saint Jeanne de Valois, daughter of Louis XI and wife of Louis d’Orléans. Although she served as queen for just over eight months, Jeanne returned to religious life after her marriage was annulled and went on to found the Monastic Order of the Annunciation.

A cenotaph and commemorative plaques mark the contributions of Cardinal Louis Antoine de Noailles, Archbishop of Paris from 1695 to 1729. The work was sculpted by Victor Geoffroy-Dechaume in the 1860s. Born in 1651 in Cantal, Noailles was the second son of Anne de Noailles, the first Duke of Noailles, and Louise Boyer, a lady-in-waiting to Queen Marie-Thérèse. He began his clerical career as Bishop of Cahors in 1679 and soon after became Bishop and Count of Châlons-en-Champagne. In 1695, thanks in part to his close relationship with Madame de Maintenon, Louis XIV appointed him Archbishop of Paris.

Noailles played a significant role in the city’s religious landscape. He blessed the first stone of Notre-Dame’s high altar and the first stone of the Église Saint-Louis-en-l’Île. After Louis XIV’s death, the Regent Philippe d’Orléans named him president of the Council of Conscience. Noailles’s tenure was not without controversy. One of the most dramatic episodes involved the Duchess de Berry, daughter of the Regent, who experienced several scandalous pregnancies after her husband’s death in 1714. When she was about to give birth in March 1719, Cardinal Noailles arrived and asked the parish priest of Saint-Sulpice to administer the sacraments, which the priest refused. She survived that birth but died in July of the same year after another pregnancy. 

Polarizing in life, Noailles remained so in death. He was buried in several places within Notre-Dame, including having his heart interred in the chapel he had dedicated to Saint Louis. During his time as archbishop, he oversaw substantial renovations of Notre-Dame, including the costly replacement of many stained-glass windows in the south rose.

A stained-glass medallion by Jean Le Vieil from the 1750s bears the arms of Adrien Maurice, Duke of Noailles, Marshal of France, who lived from 1678 to 1766. Another medallion by Le Vieil features the coat of arms of Cardinal Louis Antoine de Noailles. Both are set amid grisaille stained glass windows created in 1862 by master-glazier Antoine Lusson. In total, eighteen members of the Noailles family are buried within this chapel.

A 15th-century tombstone marks the burial of Étienne Yver, canon of both Paris and Rouen, who died in 1468. Also represented through statuary sculpted by Corbon are Christ, the Virgin Mary, and Saint John.

The altar and mural work continue the stylistic vision of Viollet-le-Duc. Saint Louis is naturally featured, alongside Saint Clodoald—also known as Saint Cloud—the grandson of Clovis I who renounced his royal claim to become a monk. There is also a depiction of Saint Louis of Anjou, bishop of Toulouse from 1296 to 1297, and great-nephew of Saint Louis IX. Even Charlemagne, crowned emperor of the West in 814 and later beatified, is featured—emphasizing the chapel's tribute to France’s Christian monarchic legacy.

Though lacking a marked tomb, two notable figures are buried in the vicinity: Thomas de Courcelles, canon, teacher, and dean, and his brother Jean de Courcelles, doctor of canon law. Thomas played a central role in the trial of Joan of Arc. An eager servant of the English occupiers, he read her indictment, proposed torture, and later edited the Latin translation of the trial, conveniently omitting his own name from incriminating votes. Despite his unrepentant stance, he maintained influence at court and even took part in the public rehabilitation celebrations of Joan in 1456, presiding as dean of the chapter of Notre-Dame—a disturbing irony in the long saga of her legacy.

The next chapel tells the story of a lesser-known but legendary bishop: Saint Marcel, the ninth bishop of Paris, who lived in the 5th century. His legacy, though centuries old, is deeply tied to the city’s early identity, marked by acts of compassion, miraculous power, and deep spiritual friendship with Paris’s patroness, Sainte Geneviève.

Born near the Petit Pont in what would later be the heart of medieval Paris, Marcel’s early years are shrouded in mystery. The house where he is said to have been born no longer stands, having been demolished during Baron Haussmann’s vast renovation of the city. Marcel served briefly on the Council of Paris in the 360s and became bishop in 405, guiding the faithful until his death in November of 436. He was buried along the ancient Roman road, where today the Boulevard Saint-Marcel and Avenue des Gobelins intersect.

From his childhood, Marcel was known for miraculous acts. One legend tells of a forger who challenged him to guess the weight of a burning iron bar. The boy calmly lifted it and, astonishingly, remained unscathed. Later, as a subdeacon, he brought water from the Seine to the bishop to wash his hands before mass — and the water turned to wine. But his most dramatic miracle came later in life, while serving as bishop. A woman, shunned by society for her sins, died and was refused burial in the church cemetery. Marcel, filled with mercy, led a small group to carry her body to the Bièvre River. There, a dragon—drawn to claim the soul of the woman—blocked their path. Undeterred, Marcel faced the creature head-on, raised his pastoral staff, and struck it three times—once for each person of the Holy Trinity—defeating it.

Saint Marcel’s story is intimately connected to that of Sainte Geneviève. He entrusted her with the care of the city’s consecrated virgins, and in 451, when Attila the Hun approached Paris and the people refused to heed Geneviève’s call to prayer, it was Marcel who urged them to listen. Though he died decades before her, their connection endured in the rituals of the Church. For centuries, on the feast of Geneviève, a symbolic procession would unfold. Marcel’s relics would be carried from Notre-Dame to meet hers at Saint-Étienne-du-Mont, and together, they would return to the cathedral for mass. Afterward, she would be accompanied back to the edge of the Île de la Cité, a spiritual journey retold year after year.

The chapel where Marcel is honored once consisted of three separate bays, each named for saints: the Beheading of Saint John the Baptist, Saint Eutrope, and Saint Faith. In the 19th century, it was transformed under the guidance of Eugène Viollet-le-Duc, who entrusted its mural decoration to painter Théodore Maillot between 1867 and 1868. Maillot, born in Paris in 1826, was trained at the École des Beaux-Arts under François-Édouard Picot and Martin Drolling. He would later marry Anne Charlotte Duban, daughter of Louvre architect Félix Duban. Beyond Notre-Dame, Maillot also painted the “Miracles of Saint Geneviève” fresco in the Panthéon.

On the left wall of the chapel, Maillot’s major work The Triumph of Saint Marcel depicts the solemn transfer of the saint’s relics from the Church of Sainte-Marie to Notre-Dame, under the leadership of Bishop Eudes de Sully. The procession is made up of dignitaries from the diocese, including Archbishop Darboy and the Abbé La Place. In the vaulted ceiling, Saint Marcel is crowned in heavenly glory.

The chapel honors not only Marcel but other saints deeply linked to the city. Among them is Saint Éloi, bishop of Noyon from 641 to 660, originally a skilled goldsmith. Apprenticed to a master named Bobbon, Éloi crafted two thrones from gold intended for one, impressing King Clotaire II with his honesty and gaining favor at court. He was later appointed to oversee the treasury, mines, and coinage, and served as Minister of Finance under King Dagobert I. In 1212, part of his arm was brought to Notre-Dame, and it remains part of the cathedral’s relic treasury.

Also honored is Saint Aure, abbess of the monastery of Saint-Martial in Paris, who died in 666. Saint Germain, bishop of Paris from 555 to 576, is likewise remembered here, as is Saint Geneviève herself.

The chapel also houses the cenotaph and commemorative plaques of Mgr Hyacinthe-Louis de Quélen, Archbishop of Paris from 1821 to 1839. Sculpted by Victor Geoffroy-Dechaume in 1852, the monument remembers a man known for both his political resilience and charitable heart. Born in 1778 and ordained by Cardinal Fesch—Napoleon Bonaparte’s uncle—Quélen maintained close ties with Kings Louis XVIII and Charles X. He blessed the first stone of the Chapelle Expiatoire, but during the 1830 Revolution, he was twice forced to flee the archbishop’s palace. After a mass commemorating the Duc de Berry in 1831, Republican rioters destroyed his residence. Quélen found refuge at the Convent of the Ladies of the Sacred Heart—now the Rodin Museum. In 1832, during the deadly cholera epidemic, he showed great compassion for the suffering of the city. He died in 1839 and was buried in the chapel of Saint Marcel, beneath the figure of the saint whose life he deeply venerated.

The chapel is illuminated by soft grey-toned stained glass—grisaille—crafted in 1862 by Antoine Lusson, a master glass artist. On one wall hangs a painting known as the Vierge de Pitié—Our Lady of Pity—by Lubin Baugin, dating to around 1650. During the Revolution, the piece was taken by Alexandre Lenoir to the Petits-Augustins for safekeeping. It was restored and returned to Notre-Dame in 1844.

On the chapel’s right side is another monument, the cenotaph of Cardinal Jean-Baptiste de Belloy, Archbishop of Paris from 1802 to 1808. Sculpted in 1818 by Louis-Pierre Deseine, it shows Saint Denis holding a parchment inscribed with Belloy’s name as the cardinal gives alms to two orphan girls. Belloy, born in 1709, had been bishop of Marseille and was later called to lead the diocese of Paris. When Pope Pius VII requested the resignation of all bishops as part of the Concordat with Napoleon, Belloy was the first to step down—an act that earned him Napoleon’s admiration and a seat in the French Senate. It was the emperor himself who ordered the creation of this tomb upon Belloy’s death in 1808 at the age of 98.

This chapel, steeped in miracle and memory, continues to speak of those who shaped the faith and soul of Paris—from dragon-slaying bishops and relic processions to the quiet courage of prelates who stood firm through revolution and plague. It is a space where time collapses and the enduring spirit of the Church carries on, guided still by the pastoral hand of Saint Marcel.