Archaeological Journal/Volume 1/Notices of New Publications: Seances generales tenues en 1841 par la Societe Francaise pour la Conservation des Monuments Historiques (Part 2)
(Continued from our last.)
At the morning sitting of the 23rd of June, business was commenced by an account of some renewed excavations on the site of the castellum at Jublains, lately purchased as a specimen of transition from Gallo-Roman to that of early feudal military architecture, and the Society had the pleasure to learn that a habitation having thereon been built for the superintendant of the roads thereabout, this monument had been put under his protection; and it was also announced that an archæological map of Anjou had recently been published. M. de la Sicotiere having then read an account of the preceding evening's archæological promenade, the Director, in continuation of his former questions, asked. What were the most ancient churches of the neighbourhood, and what peculiarities of construction and decoration did they exhibit? In answering this, the Abbé Bourassé took occasion to suggest the advantage of carefully studying all those churches built by Gregory of Tours, in order to ascertain therefrom the principles of Romano-Byzantine architecture in Touraine. Other questions discussed were—Whether any Angerine churches of the eleventh and twelfth centuries were of circular or Greek-cross form, or with unusually arranged masonry, or peculiarly shaped buttresses, or the beak-moulding, the pearl-studded moulding, or that called by the French flabelliform, and more especially what churches had been fortified with machicolations. The archivist of the department having then presented sundry documents illustrating the dates of several churches therein, and of the old stone bridge at Angers, the President closed the sitting by inviting the Society to visit at noon the abbey church of St. Serge.
At the second sitting, at two o'clock, M. Godard, the author of an excellent monumental history of Anjou, informed the Society as to the mouldings most worthy of remark in that province. M. de Caumont then animaderted on the great utility of locally studying the peculiarity of mouldings towards the formation of what might be termed architectonic zones; an opinion which M. Segrestain corroborated by referring to the beautiful cloister of St. Aubin, the mere physiognomy of which at once demonstrated the locality of its author's architectonic studies. A conversation then ensued upon the different systems of ornamentation in different provinces, and a comparison of the simplicity of Romano-Byzantine edifices in one part of Touraine with the highly adorned churches of the same epoch, near the rivers Cher and Vienne, and on those Mosaic-like incrustations composed of different volcanic stones so common in the churches of Auvergne.
The Director then proceeded to enquire, illustrating his several questions with large drawings, as to the usual shape of columns of the eleventh and twelfth centuries in Anjou; whether the Attic base was not constantly adopted; what was the mode of grouping them, and whether any are encircled with pearled bands. In reply to these, it having been incidentally remarked that arches were sometimes made of pointed form so early even as the twelfth century, not merely from caprice but upon the well-understood principle of their constructional utility; M. Godard combated the opinion that pointed arches were of eastern origin, for otherwise they would have been introduced by Foulque Nera in some of the many churches built by him after his return from the first crusade. It was then asked whether there existed in Anjou any columns based on lions, or any allusion in its ancient charters to the administration of "Justitia inter leones." Whereon M. Marchegay stated that the church and the bishop's residence were places in which public justice was often administered, and alluded particularly to a document dated "in veteri camera Episcopi Pictavensis;" M. Godard relating also, on documental authority, that so lately as 1640—1650, the common place of justice at S. Georges des Mines, was the porch or narthex of its church. This led to a long conversation on the manumission of slaves having always taken place in the church, and also on the heating of ordeal water and iron therein,—M. de Caumont eloquently descanting on the deep impression which judgment pronounced in such holy places could not but have had on the bystanders.
The Director having then made a remark upon the rarity of historically sculptured shafts in Anjou, enquired whether there existed any with foliated bases, or any such channelled pilasters as are common in Burgundy. A conversation afterwards ensued on historied capitals and their colouring, which, it was said, is generally either red and blue, except where green foliage is introduced, and there the ground is always red, the colouring matter being fixed with fat oil or varnish. The resemblance of corbel-heads in Anjou and other provinces was next discussed, and M. de la Sicotiere having read an account of the Society's visit to the church of St. Serge, the meeting adjourned to the next day.
At the morning sitting of the 24th of June, under the presidency of the Marquis de la Porte, a memoir on the cathedral of Cahors was read, and a proposition thereon made that the Society should take down a wall then hiding a fine Byzantine doorway. Next followed a report upon the monuments of the province of Saintonge, proving that many of the towers therein said to have been erected by the English during their occupation of that district, were not built until after their departure.
The Director then continued to put the archæological questions on the programme, and first, Whether the large Angevine windows of the twelfth century had any bas-relief on their archivolts—whether certain windows with exteriorly semicircular heads had not interiorly pointed heads, or vice versâ? (M. de Caumont being of opinion that many windows were originally so formed.) The usual decoration of doorways, and the symbolical meaning of the statuary columns at the western entrance of Angers cathedral, was next learnedly investigated, and the peculiarity of Angevine vaulting demonstrated to consist in the central portions of each compartment being somewhat higher than its sides, so that a series of longitudinal ribs (unless observed from directly beneath it) is seen to be a succession of curved lines, as those of King's College chapel evidently are when seen from between its two roofs. As to the most ancient vaults in Anjou—with the exception of the Byzantine cupolas at Loches and Fontevrault, which are completely domical—M. Godard stated them to be generally either of semicircularly wagon-form or very flatly groined and ribless; observing that Angevine churches, being usually without triforia, are not so lofty as those of other provinces. It appeared also that in Anjou pier-arches and their spandrels are plain, and that church-towers are mostly placed over the transepts, and consist of cubes surmounted with octagons. M. Biseul then read a learned report on the Roman roads of Anjou, and at eleven o'clock the morning sitting terminated.
The business of the afternoon sitting having been opened by a comparison of the sum expended for restoring the spires of Angers cathedral in 1839 with that of building them in 1516, the consideration of the questions in the programme was then resumed by the Director enquiring. What were the subjects generally represented on Angevine bas-reliefs of the twelfth and thirteenth centuries? upon which attention having been drawn to an infant Jesus on the Virgin's knees in the cloister of St. Aubin, the Director stated that, during the Romano-Byzantine epoch, our infant Saviour was almost always represented with the intellectuality of a good man, however inferior the art of sculpture then was in portraying the human figure, compared with that of representing vegetable substances.
With regard to the former existence of any canon for religious symbolical sculpture, M. Godard thought that sagittary-centaurs and mermaids holding fish—the emblem of Christ—should be so considered: but that many of the monstrous figures met with on corbels and capitals had their prototypes in the east, whence they were brought by Greeks and the early crusaders, referring in aid of this opinion to the figure of a camel at Nevers, and of several plants only indigenous in the Holy Land—not to mention other forms of gnostic or hieroglyphic origin. The mermaid, so common in Poitou, M.de Caumont, from having seen it often upon ancient fonts, could not but deem allusive to baptism, and remarked that sometimes, instead of the figure holding in both hands a fish, it had in the right hand a knife—expressive perhaps of the vindictive power of God. In reply to a question as to the manner of depicting Vice, reference was made to certain representations of men entwined by serpents, and of women sucked by toads and snakes. The Director then enquired the usual mode in Anjou of figuring Christ—whether by surrounding Him with the evangelistic emblems—one hand being in the attitude of benediction, and the other holding an open book—or by the Cluniac mode, with His arms spread out on each side; and whether the representation of God the Father by a hand placed on a crossed nimbus was ever met with in Anjou.
An interesting discussion then ensued as to the infrequency of Christ being represented on the cross previously to the end of the twelfth century—earlier figures of Christ being either in an attitude of glory or as a good shepherd—M. de Caumont remarking that the last judgment and the pains of hell were not depicted before the eleventh century. A question whether there existed any general collection of inscriptions from the churches of Anjou was replied to in the negative. Some well-executed drawings of the several mouldings, sculptured shafts, capitals, &c. of the cloister of St. Aubin, and of David's combat with Goliah, were then exhibited, and this led to a conversation on the Polychromy of the eleventh and twelfth centuries, which terminated the general afternoon sitting; but at seven in the evening an assembly of the Society's administrative council took place, when various sums were accorded for the reparation of several churches, and the upholding of certain interesting ruins.
At the morning sitting of the 25th, business began by an account of the remarkable objects observed during the preceding evening's archæological promenade, especially of certain melon-like ornaments in Trinity church, and the hexagonal masonry of the church of Ronzeray, built A.D. 1025. It was then announced that a course of archæology had been established in the Diocesan Seminary of Touraine, and that several churches in that province had been restored in consequence of a circular address from the Archbishop to his clergy. A sum having been voted for the upholding of the aqueduct at Luines, and of another Roman monument near it, the Director then commenced his usual questions relative to Pointed architecture, but from the rarity in Anjou of this style, except in castles, the only observation on it was that its mouldings were less boldly undercut than in Normandy and elsewhere. It was next asked if there existed in the vicinity any representations of Christ on the cross reposing in the bosom of the Father, but of this the only known example was in a stained glass window of the thirteenth century in Tours cathedral. The introduction of what is called the Renaissant style having been briefly observed upon, the Director requested information as to the ancient interments in the city of Angers, and especially those with medals or arms, from which it appeared that though skeletons were sometimes found in rude excavations of the rock, they were generally in uncovered coffins either of coarse shelly stone or ferruginous sand-stone. A memoir was thereupon read shewing that in the province of Le Maine the use of stone coffins, and the occasional depositing therein of perforated pots filled with charcoal and cinders, existed even so lately as the end of the seventeenth century. M. de Caumont having then remarked on our want of a chronological essay on the former modes of sepulture, the sitting was terminated by a memoir on the sepulchral statues of the English monarchs at Fontevrault.
At the afternoon sitting, a notice was communicated of a certain chapel of the thirteenth century at Fontevrault, having at its top one of those cemetery lanterns described to the Society at Le Mans. The Director then enquired as to stone altars and baptismal fonts in Anjou, but reference was only made to a font in the chapel of Behuard, which contains also a contemporary fresco-portrait of Louis XI. M. Marchegay then enumerated from ancient abbey-inventories lists of articles of gold-work and enamel, and referred to M. Grille's collections of Byzantine ornaments as well worthy of a visit from the Society. With regard to reliquaries, M. de Cauvin described a remarkable one at Evron, a wooden statue covered with silver plates, and having a girdle of precious stones, alluding also to several ancient crosses, pixes, chalices and censers, and silken tapestry, &c. at Le Mans and in its vicinity. Of the most remarkable stained glass in Anjou, the oldest was said to be in the cathedral and the hospital chapel at Angers, but the most beautiful at Champigné. The church-music of Anjou, during the eleventh and twelfth centuries, was then enquired into, with allusion to the form of certain musical instruments represented in that mine of archæological information—the cloister of St. Aubin. As examples of ancient penmanship, the archivist laid before the Society some fac-similes of charters varying in date from A.D. 847 downwards, shewing that the small Roman character introduced by Charlemagne was not commonly employed before the eleventh century, and that the long Gothic character arose in the thirteenth, when the use of Latin in public documents had given way to the vulgar tongue.
The origin of various manufactures in Anjou, and the influence of monasteries on agriculture, having been discussed, an account of the castle and church of Noatre was read, and M. de Caumont, in the name of the Society, then thanking the inhabitants of Angers for their hospitality, concluded the session by requesting their assistance at the session to take place the next year at Bordeaux.
This review might here terminate, but as some of the subjects noticed are, from their novelty and import, we conceive, worthy of consideration by our readers, and since it is probable that other subjects equally interesting may be met with in the account of the Society's sessions at Cherbourg and Lyons, I shall proceed with an analysis of what was there transacted.
The Cherbourg meeting took place on the 18th of July, during the session of the Norman Association, M. de Caumont being president. Business began by voting thanks to M. Renault, for having stopped the demolition of a gateway of the twelfth century at Dompont. A letter was then read from the Abbé Texier, stating that he was busily engaged in a work describing the stained glass (not less than 9000 square yards) still existing in the diocese of Limoges, promising also in addition to his notice on enamels (published in the sixth volume of the "Bulletin Monumental" of the Society) an account of not fewer than 57 Byzantine reliquaries, which he saw at the late septennial exhibition of relics at Limoges, and of which some—donations from the kings of Jerusalem—strongly illustrate the introduction of Byzantine architectural ornamentation into France. Next followed a communication from the Minister of the Interior expressing his willingness to accord the aid requested by the Society for the restoration of King René's tomb at Angers. M. du Moncel then gave an excellent report, accompanied with a monumental chart, upon the Celtic, Roman, religious, military, and civil, antiquities around Cherbourg. Among Celtic monuments were noticed a gallery (allée couverte) at Bretteville, nearly sixty feet long by three in breadth and height: an immense logan or rocking-stone; and various other Druidical stones and barrows. Of middle-age antiquities were described the twelfth-century churches of Octeville, Martinvast, and Tollesast, and the ruined chapels at Surtainville and at Querqueville (figured by Cotman), and two churches of the thirteenth century at Gouberville and Biville, in which latter are still preserved a chasuble and chalice given to it by St. Louis. A memoir was then read on that strange inexplicable sculpture sometimes found in churches, and a report on the government restorations going on at Mont St. Michel, Some curious stone circles were then exhibited, similar to those described by Dr. Legrand, of St. Pierre sur Dives, with an account of certain discoveries at Avranches, proving that city to be the Ingena of the Peutinger table.
The Society having then decided as to what reparations were most necessary to be undertaken near Cherbourg, terminated its session there by a vote of thanks to M. de Caumont, for having individually purchased and so rescued from destruction, the ground on which stands the magnificent doorway to the refectory of the abbey of Savigny.
The first meeting of the Society at Lyons was on the 5th of September, during the session of the Congres Scientifique de France, M. de Caumont acting as president, on account of the absence of the cardinal on clerical duties. Business was opened by a narration of the origin of the Society and of the good works that it had already accomplished, and of which the assembly testified its approbation by loud applause. Reports were then severally made on the historical monuments in the province of the Lyonnois, M. Branche requesting aid towards the restoration of a church in the Romano-Auvergnat style, and of one of the 14th century remarkable for a Dance of Death painted on its walls, and for being a good architectural example of a church suited to a village congregation. The church is also interesting on account of its tower still retaining (in accordance with an ancient canon) an Altar dedicated to St. Michael, and the contents of the tomb of a prioress lately found, viz., the remains of a hempen shroud, some partly burnt tapers of yellow wax, fragments of inscribed parchment, ivory beads, and a gilt wooden crozier. The discovery of some Merovingian tombs at Ville sur Journoux having been announced, a sum of money was granted for further researches in that vicinity; whereupon a member took occasion to deplore the want of municipal authority for preventing objects of antiquity from being dispersed among goldsmiths, &c., alluding particularly to the discovery of a jewel-box of some Gallo-Roman lady, containing collars of precious stones, a gold twisted bracelet, set with a head of the Empress Crispina, and cameos, medallions and coins, giving reason to believe that the place in which they were found was a Roman villa of the reign of Septimius Severus.
The Director then, addressing himself to the clergy around him, requested to know if in the diocese of Lyons any archæological lectures had been instituted, whereupon a member stated that the cardinal had already established a course at L'Argentiere, and a Society at Lyons, denominated "L'Institut Catholique," for the preservation and description of the general ecclesiastical monuments of that Society, and which he begged might be associated with the General French Society he was addressing; a request accorded with acclamation, and with an assurance that Government would gratefully recognise so powerful a means of moralizing such a class as the manufacturing population of the city of Lyons. It was then asked if there existed any work on the ancient inscriptions of Lugdunum, to which M. Commarmond replied that the work of the late M. Alard was in continuation by him preparatory to a course of lectures on the subject. M. Crespet having announced his discovery of the figure of a serpent-tailed cock, with the word "Basiliscus" over it, among some stones with zodiacal signs of the 12th century, immured in the tower of the church of St. Foy, the Director took occasion to recommend the taking of casts from all such ancient sculptures, so that the several archæological museums of Europe might interchange them one with another. M. Boilet then noticed a credence-table at Chasselay, and a description was given of a newly-discovered portion of the theatre at Lyons, the only Roman monument, except the aqueduct, now remaining in that city, urging the mayor to require notice of the discovery of any ancient substructure that may be discovered by the engineers now erecting the new fort, and to prevent any new houses from being built with Roman remains; all which he graciously promised, if possible, to do. M. Dupasquier then requested aid for repairing the Byzantine chapel of the castle of Chatillon, complaining of the occasional impediment to intelligent restoration by injudicious local authority, and the Abbé d' Avrilly begged to recommend to the mayor the removal of the shops disfiguring many of the churches in Lyons, In reply to a question whether the churches of Lyons were as much the victims of whitewash as elsewhere, a member begged to know whether such tinting as might harmonize new work with old was objectionable; to which M. de Caumont answered no, but only such trumpery colouring, which, pretending to imitate marble, carved wood, and Italian mouldings, so spoilt the true character of many churches, that their real mouldings could hardly be distinguished from the supposititious ones. He then enquired as to the usual mode of depicting Christ in country churches, and whether any gentleman had particularly studied its symbolism during the 12th century; whereupon M. de Barthelemy presented some drawings of Christ and of the Byzantine doorway at Bourg-Argental. The sitting then terminated by a report from the administrative council of the 3rd of September, and the appointment of the following gentlemen as divisional inspectors of monuments, viz., M. V. Simon for Metz; M. Commarmond for Lyons; M. V. Baille of Besançon for the Jura; and M. Hubert of Charleville for the Ardennes.
On the 7th of September the Society went down the Rhone to visit Vienne, M. de Lorme the conservator of the museum conducting them to the several subjects of peculiar archæological interest there. Of these however, not noticing those described in guide-books, we have only space to mention—a chapel of Greek-cross form; a circular Byzantine building with a dome on a circular series of columns; a singular mosaic-like insertion of bricks into the stone-work of its early churches; a window-arch (bearing the date 1152) springing from columns based on couchant lions; and a flying buttress of the twelfth century; the symbolic statuary of the cathedral with its ancient tombs and mural inscriptions, and marble lining set in red cement; besides the many Roman remains yet existing in this capital of the Allobroges.
On the 9th of September the Society inspected the cathedral of Lyons under the guidance of his excellency the cardinal, who pointed out as especially worth notice, its several symbolic bas-reliefs, the red cement we have seen at Vienne, and a beautiful marble primatial chair of the twelfth century.
At the meeting of the 13th of September, which took place in the townhall, (many members of the 'Congres Scientifique' having joined the Society,) M. de Caumont with the purpose of comparing the phases of Christian art in the province where they were then assembled, and of shewing also to its inhabitants its state in other provinces of France, exhibited a large collection of architectural prints and drawings. He then, after having alluded to symbolism generally, drew attention to the mermaids on the tympanum of the churches at Puy and Autun, and others, and to the mode of representing the seven deadly sins. On which M. Branche cited many sculptured capitals in Auvergne, and one especially at Mirat, from which it appeared that these sins were indicated by attaching to that part of the body in which the peccant humour was presumed to reside, the toads and snakes represented as devouring it; that thus by surrounding the head, for instance, with such reptiles, the sin of pride was designated; while if about the heart, envy and malice; if about the hands, avarice; and if about the feet, idleness &c. M. de Caumont then drew attention to the figures of the Sagittarius and Capricorn which are of such frequent occurrence; Samson conquering a lion; and other symbols, yet more inexplicable.
M. de Caumont then remarked, as to the various modes of representing Christ, that His nimbus is always of crucial form, whereas that of the saints is not. He stated also that about the middle of the thirteenth century the apocalyptic animals were replaced on the tympanums of churches by angels. the Virgin and St. John, and that the representation of Christ crucified and lying on his parent's knees, did not occur before the fifteenth century; M. Monnier corroborating this by allusions to the churches of the Jura, and M. Laurens to a stained glass at Villefranche, where above the head of the Father is a dove. M. Frelet then learnedly discussed the manner in which, during the twelfth century, the figures of Christ and the Virgin were depicted, observing that in pictures and sculptures the features given to Christ were invariably alike. He attributes this similarity to a conceived duty on the part of the artist to imitate a Mosaic traditionally said to have been given to Prudentius a Roman patrician by St. Peter himself, and of which mention was made by church writers of the fourth century, and that the manner prevailed until the fourteenth century. M. Frelet stated also that he had observed the same conventional similarity in the figures of the Virgin and of certain saints, and supposes that there was formerly some authentic portrait of the Virgin.
With these observations the session, the last of the Society in 1841, closed.