European Travelog D3E2: Saint-Chapelle’s Glass, Cluny's Medieval Treasures, Napoleon’s Tomb, and Rodin’s Sculptures

Saint-Chapelle's Glass

After lunch our first destination is the historic Gothic cathedral of Saint-Chapelle. Built in 1248 CE on the orders of Louis IX, the future Saint Louis, it was to house what was believed to be relics of the Passion of Christ: the Crown of Thorns and the fragment of the True Cross. The cathedral is built with 1113 stained glass windows which depicts the story of the world, according to the Bible, until the arrival of the relics in Paris in the 13th century.

Our first view of the cathedral which is on the side of a busy street. There are long lines of visitors, categorized by the entry slot, outside. Once we enter, there's a security screening of the visitors and their bags before we are let into the premises.

Once inside, the walls of the cathedral tower above us, the glass windows looking dull and lifeless from outside.

King Louis IX paid almost half the GDP of France to acquire the relics that were to be housed here. In 1239, Louis IX bought the crown of thorns from Baldwin II, Emperor of Byzantium. Two years later, he acquired a fragment of the Cross, and then decided to build a monument worthy of this treasure. 

These acquisitions, at enormous cost to the French exchequer, were intended to express the piety of the Emperor and Pope Innocent IV proclaimed that  Christ had symbolically crowned Louis with his own crown.  It was also intended to increase the prestige of France as a "new Jerusalem", and thereby the beacon of Western Christianity. 

King Louis subsequently acquired seven other relics of the Passion of Christ, including the Holy Blood and the Stone of the Sepulchre, pieces of the Holy Lance and the Holy Sponge.

The shrine and the reliquaries were melted down during the French Revolution and most of the relics disappeared. Whatever remained of the relics were transferred to the Notre-Dame Cathedral in 1804 and resided there until the fire of April 2019 when they were deposited in the Louvre Museum.

However, many of these relics were of doubtful authenticity. John Calvin, the French theologian, wrote in 1543: 

And so completely are they all mixed up and huddled together, that it is impossible to have the bones of any martyr without running the risk of worshipping the bones of some thief or robber, or, it may be, the bones of a dog, or a horse, or an ass. Nor can the Virgin Mary's ring, or comb, or girdle, be venerated without the risk of venerating some part of the dress of a strumpet. Let every one, therefore, who is inclined, guard against this risk. Henceforth no man will be able to excuse himself by pretending ignorance.

We enter and take the staircase up to the main floor of the cathedral. The lower floor was built as a chapel for the servants of the royal palace, while the chapel in the larger majestic upper floor was built  for the royalty and had an entrance from the nearby palace.

The first sight from inside explains why the architecture is called Radiant Gothic. Light streams in through the hundreds of stained glass windows.

On the opposite side, above the entrance, is a giant rosette which was added in the 15th century.

A closer look at the rosette which spans almost 30 feet end to end.

The altar is no longer a place of worship.

The cathedral was damaged by fires in 1630 and 1776, then during the French Revolution, the building was used as a warehouse, then was transformed into an archive repository. The windows were then walled up, and the stained glass windows were either destroyed or dismantled and some were then dispersed on the art market, particularly in England. There was a widespread call for its renovation lead by luminaries like Victor Hugo and the renovation took place in the mid-1800s with an effort to restore it to its 13th century appearance. 70% of the original stained glass still remains and the remaining were added to retain the appearance of the original ones.

After taking a video of the upper floor of the cathedral, we head downstairs. Originally constructed as a chapel for the palace workers, it's now a gift shop and probably one of the most historic and scenic gift shops in the world.

There's a replica of a statue of King Louis IX looking on as to how the grand cathedral he constructed has changed.

The Cluny Museum which we visit later has a bust of the king which provides a closer look at the king who became a saint.

The plaque next to this says: Shortly after Louis IX was made a saint in the Roman Catholic Church, Philip the Fair had his head taken from Saint-Denis to the Sainte-Chapelle. In 1306, the head-reliquary made by the goldsmith Guillaume Julien was placed in a shrine behind the high altar, at the foot of the tribune of the holy relics. This statuette, one of the first representations of Saint Louis, probably topped the western gable of the shrine.

As we step out the 13th century and back to the 21st century, we look up and see an array of gargoyles looking down at us with unblinking eyes, as they have for the last 800 years.

Cluny's Medieval  Treasures

Our next stop is Musée de Cluny - National Museum of the Middle Ages. It's locate in a unique location - a 15th-century Gothic mansion and built atop ancient Roman baths. The museum holds over 23,000 items, but only 10% of it is displayed. Its extensive collection includes the famous "Lady and the Unicorn" tapestries, medieval sculptures, stained glass, and other relics from the Middle Ages. 

We are greeted near these entrance by a pair of glass lion-heads. These amazing lion-heads probably decorated a throne from the Carolingian Empire.

Ariadne, carved in ivory, stands nearby. She is flanked by a satyr, a maenid - follower of Dionysus (her husband) and two cupids. Made in Constantinople in the early 6th century, this was found along with the liob-heads in a tomb in the Rhine valley.

These casket plates. made in the Byzantine Empire with bone in the 11th century, depicts some fantastic  and exotic beasts - lions with ram horns, griffins and peacocks.

This oliphant - hunting horn made of ivory - was known as the "horn of Charlemagne" and carved in the 12th century CE in Southern Italy. In the Middle Ages, oliphants were often associated with legendary facts, such as the death of the hero in the Song of Roland. The luxurious quality of this type of object made it enter church treasuries as relics. 

This statue of Adam, carved in Lutetian limestone (also known as Paris stone since it is particular to the area) in the 13th century stood originally in the Notre Dame de Paris. Originally, Adam stood facing a statue of Eve (now missing) at the feet of Christ seated in judgement, surrounded by angels. The posture and anatomy of Adam was borrowed from the classical Greek style.

These stone heads, carved of Lutetian limestone in 1220, originally adorned the western façade of Notre Dame de Paris and represent the biblical Kings of Judah, believed to be ancestors of Christ. During the French Revolution, they were mistaken for images of France’s kings and were decapitated as symbols of monarchy. The heads were lost for almost two centuries until they were rediscovered in 1977 during excavation work.

Adjacent to the 9 body-less heads, are 12 headless bodies which depict apostles and saints. These were also carved in the 13th century and were beheaded in the anti-monarchy sentiment that swept the French nation after the Revolution and the heads were never recovered.

This colored glass panel, from a 13th century abbey, depicsts a recurring motif from the times - an individual, in this case Theophilus, making a pact with the devil in exchange for worldly favors and eventually regretting it. 

According to Wikipedia: Later, fearful for his soul, Theophilus repented and prayed to the Virgin for forgiveness. After forty days of fasting, the Virgin appeared to him and verbally chastised him. Theophilus begged forgiveness and Mary promised to intercede with God. He then fasted a further thirty days, after which Mary appeared to him again, and granted him absolution. However, Satan was unwilling to relinquish his hold over Theophilus, and three days later, Theophilus awoke to find the damning contract on his chest. He then took the contract to the legitimate bishop and confessed all that he had done. The bishop burned the document, and Theophilus died out of sheer joy to be free from the burden of his contract.

Although only a portion of this Crucified Christ carving in ivory(with traces of gilt) from the 13th century survives, it is remarkable for the quality of the work.

We then step into the chapel, built in the 15th century, as part of the residence for the abbots of Cluny.

The austere stone pillar, rising, from the floor, explodes when it reaches the roof. combining architecture and art.

The chapel is quiet and we are the only visitors here. As we sit on the ground, a sense of calm descends from the centuries of prayer that have taken place in this chapel.

Our last stop in the museum is to see the famous tapestries of the Lady and the Unicorn which are among the most celebrated and iconic works in the Cluny Museum’s collection. These six large, intricately woven tapestries, created around the end of the 15th century, are a masterpiece of medieval art. They depict a noblewoman, often referred to as "the Lady," accompanied by a unicorn and various animals, including lions, rabbits, monkeys, and birds, all set against a floral background.

The first five tapestries depict each of the five senses - Sight, Taste, Smell, Hearing and Touch. The last one, called À Mon Seul Désir (To My Only Desire), is the most enigmatic of the six tapestries.

I turn to Artificial Intelligence to interpret what it means and ChatGPT tells me: This final and most enigmatic tapestry is often seen as representing love or free will, transcending the basic senses. The lady stands before a tent bearing the inscription À Mon Seul Désir, which has been interpreted in various ways. In this scene, she appears to be either placing or removing a necklace, with her expression reflecting contemplation or inner emotion.  Some scholars view the necklace as a symbol of material wealth or worldly pleasures, with the act of removing it symbolizing a renunciation of these for something higher, possibly love or spiritual fulfillment. Others see the placing of the necklace as a symbol of accepting or embracing personal desire, suggesting themes of courtly love.

The lack of a clear sensory connection in this tapestry, combined with its deeper emotional and symbolic tone, has led many to believe that it represents something beyond the physical senses—perhaps a longing for purity, the soul’s desire for something greater, or the mastery of one’s emotions and desires. The unicorn and lion, consistent companions throughout the series, may represent the balance between purity (the unicorn) and strength or power (the lion), aligning with the lady’s inner reflection.

On that enigmatic note we leave the middle ages and head to the 19th century tomb of Napoleon, Emperor of France. We've seen the monument to his victory and now we are on the way to the monument of his death.

Napoleon's Tomb

Construction of the Invalides' royal chapel under the orders for Louis XIV commenced in 1677 and on completion, it was Paris' tallest building until the Eiffel Tower was built. 

The French Revolution converted the Dome to a temple of the Roman god Mars and  in 1800, Napoleon I moved the tomb of Henri de La Tour d'Auvergne, vicomte de Turenne, one of France's great military leaders from the 17th century here, and turned the building into a pantheon of military glories.

Napoleon himself passed away in 1821, far away from France in the remote island of Saint Helena in the Atlantic Ocean, 1870 km from the west coast of Africa. Wikipedia traces the journey of his remains after his death: In 1840, the British government gave Louis Philippe I permission to return Napoleon's remains to France. Napoleon's body was exhumed and found to be well preserved as it had been sealed in four coffins (two of metal and two of mahogany) and placed in a masonry tomb. On 15 December 1840, a state funeral was held in Paris with 700,000-1,000,000 attendees who lined the route of the funeral procession to the chapel of Les Invalides. The coffin was later placed in the cupola in St Jérôme's Chapel, where it remained until Napoleon's tomb was completed.In 1861, during the reign of Napoleon III, his remains were entombed in a sarcophagus in the crypt under the dome at Les Invalides.

The Dome also houses Vauban's mausoleum, the graves of Napoleon II (also known as "The Eaglet"), Joseph and Jérôme Bonaparte, the Generals Bertrand and Duroc, and the famous Marshals Foch and Lyautey.

Looking up, we see the magnificent Dome.

We look down into the cavernous opening that was made to accommodate the tomb of the emperor.

The sarcophagus is made of a purple quartzite mined in Russia and rests upon a base of green granite. That green granite block rests, in turn, upon a slab of black marble. In total the project used stone from no fewer than ten different quarries in and around France, Carrara marble and the quartzite from Russia.

Twelve monumental winged women, the Victories, stand watch over the tomb. On the ground, the enamel foliage surrounds the names for eight of Napoleon's major victories.

We go down towards the crypt to take a closer look at it. 

The mosaic at the entrance - Napoleon, Emperor of the French.

This title- Emperor of the French - used by Napoleon, was intended to emphasize his role as the ruler of the people of France rather than a traditional monarch ruling by divine right.

The entrance to the crypt is flanked by two caryatides - who carry, on cushions, the symbols of imperial, civil and military power - the crown, the hand of justice, the globe and the sword.

The complex also includes the tombs of Napoleon's relatives and other French military leaders.

The tomb of Joseph Napoleon, older brother of Napoleon Bonaparte and Emperor of Naples and Spain.

The tomb of Marshal Lyautey (1854-1934)

There are still reminders that this was once a chapel.

We take a final look at the some of the architecture before stepping out.

The Dome

Rodin's Sculptures

Our next halt, the last one for the day, is Musée Rodin. The museum's collection includes 6,600 sculptures, 8,000 drawings, 8,000 old photographs and 7,000 objets d'art.

The museum's garden is home to one of his most famous works, The Thinker.

The Thinker, originally called The Poet by Rodin, was part of a much larger work, The Gates of Hell where it depicted the Italian poet Dante contemplating Inferno. Rodin cast this statue many times and in different sizes - so there are many "original" versions of the same statue in different locations. The first time we saw it was at the Louvre Abu Dhabi where there is a much smaller version of The Thinker.

The smaller indoor version of The Thinker.

The Kiss in the garden.

The Kiss was also orginally part of the Gates of Hell sculpure and he made many "originals" of this too - both in bronze and in marble.

The Kiss indoors - in marble this time.

One of Rodin's early and famous works, The Age of Bronze, is indoors. When it was first exhibited, the sculpture caused controversy because of its remarkable realism. Many people even accused Rodin of casting it directly from a live model rather than sculpting it by hand, which was considered a serious artistic offense. However, Rodin defended his work, and over time, the piece became celebrated for its craftsmanship and emotional depth. 

I asked a Generative AI tool to interpret this work and received this:

The Age of Bronze by Rodin symbolizes humanity's awakening, reflected in the lifelike depiction of a man emerging from a dream-like state. The figure’s pose, with raised arm and tense muscles, conveys inner conflict and the tension between body and mind. It represents the early stages of human consciousness and the struggle to progress, echoing themes from the Bronze Age and post-war France. The sculpture embodies both strength and vulnerability, capturing the duality of freedom and constraint. Its ambiguous expression suggests existential struggle, as the man reaches for enlightenment or freedom. Rodin’s realism challenged the academic norms of his time, making the piece a revolutionary work that signaled a shift in modern sculpture toward emotional and psychological depth. Ultimately, the piece reflects personal and societal evolution, emphasizing human complexity.

The Prodigal Son

Rodin's bronze captures the repentance and the despair of the Prodigal Son. The New Testament has the parable of Jesus where he describes the repentance of The Prodigal Son for having wasted his inheritance: And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father's have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee, and am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants.

Rodin was also greatly influenced by the Chola sculptures of South India. When Rodin saw some photographs of the eleventh century bronze Shiva Nataraja in the Madras Museum around 1915, he wrote that it seemed to him the “perfect expression of rhythmic movement in the world.” In an essay he wrote that was published in 1921 he wrote that the Shiva Nataraja has “what many people cannot see — the unknown depths, the core of life. There is grace in elegance, but beyond grace there is perfection."

It's almost 8:30 PM when we reach back to the hotel after almost 12 hours of immersion in French architecture,  history and art. We have much more art ahead tomorrow - Monet's Water Lilies and the whole of the Louvre to absorb.