The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1874-06-09
(Translated for the Press)
COMPLETION of the NOtre Dame Of Paris


After 27 years (the work was commenced
in 1847) the restoration of one of the most
important monuments is finished. To-day
the Notre Dame of Paris is completely re-
stored good fortune which she has not known
since the day when Maurice de Sully l1182)
being bishop of Paris, SufTagdn of the arch
bishop of Sens, the Pope Alexander Sd placed
the first stone.
In the space of 27 years we have been in
the train Of enormous openings; streets,
places, quarters, disappear; to make room for
other streets places, quarters, innumerabe
boulevards have sprung up; a city destroyed
has been reconstructed from the foundation
to the top stone, and what city! 1t proves
that it is easier to remove mountains of stone,
to place them one apOn another, than to
complete work OF art. ifg
Do not forget, o contemporary of express
trains, that two centuries we're necessary to
finish in all its details, the sculpture, the
triple door, and gallery of the facade, the side
doors, the three great glass windows, all the
arabesques, lace work, colonades. statues
wrought in stone which make this grand ed
ifice one of the most interesting specimens of
the art of the middle ages.
/ The 17th century was fatal to the monu-
ment of Maurice de Sully. 1t was in the
reign of Louis that XIV under pretezt of res
toration they spoiled it at pleasure.
In order to perform the vow of Louis
XIII, his son broke the bas reliet of apsis,
destroyed the ancient high altar, the wooden
stalls of the 14th century, and covered with
heavy veneering of marble, the beautiful
columns OF the choir. AJ
Aiterward the Cardinal de Noailles remod-
eled the rose window, part of the gable,
and the turrets, modifying all the profile and
ornaments
This man of taste cut away all the outings
and water shoots which ornamented the but
tresses, and replaced them with lead pipes,
then to crown all, he painted the church. l
do not speak of the painted glass OF the win
dows Of the nave which are destroyed, nor OF
the glass work of the chapter of Notre Dame.
But this is not all. Here comes man OF
taste from Savoy, Soufflot who cuts and
hacks right and left, second coat OF paint.
Then certain Parry took possession Of the
western facade, and in order to simplify the
restoration went round with hammer and
plane, suppressing all prominent juts, water
shoots, chapters. mouldings, crockets; every
thing effiorescent, animated, living, fell under
the blows of this demolisher.
During the Revolution the statues were
broken. and the museum of art scattered to
the four winds. After 1915 new paint, new
restoration, new iujuries. At last Malherbe
came. The taste for the gothic, the senti-
had developed at the advent of a new literary
school. They studied silently and found
again the traditions of this noble aIchitec-
ture. for so long time forgotten. One can
appreciate by that which precedes, the impor-
tance and the difficulty of a true restoration
of the metropolitan church. The task was
confided to MN. Lassus and Violet Leduc,
who had already shown their skill in the res
toration of Saint German 7 Auxerrois, and
| in the restoration OF the Holy Chapel, exc
cuted under the direction of Duban.
The two architects entered resolutely into
| the labyrinth of studies and researches; an
| Gent tects, charts buried under the dust ol
| ages. designs forgotten, effaced, unintelligi-
| Bile, shapelcss debris for all eyes but those o
| an archeologist. They questioned everything
! and arrived at the execution of their project
| by means of that spirit of induction, which
| revealed to Cuvier an ante-deluvian animal il
| the study of single bone.
| The task was a difficult one. To restor,
the monument to its primitive plan was al
absurd and impossible pretention. The,
must turn with it, to find the simple, sever
| style of the art of the 18th century, for th
western facade; the style, more ornate, NOR
whimsical, more flowing OF the 14th for tn
facades of the north and center.
They must not hesitate to cut even to tn
quick, to do justice to the rude anachronlsn
of Soufflot, the profanations OF the mas1, s.'
Parry, the vandalism of the Revolut'on, Wv
empire and the restoration. Ihese .wo a.
tiSs have honorably completed this iofInlu
able work. To-day Notre Dame Is com
njate monument. one of the most Deautliu
paces perhaps the most beautiful, OF ou
Eotbic architecture des Etots Onas