MOULINS
If our pilgrim in going south from Bourges to Clermont-Ferrand passed through Nevers, this slight detour has brought Moulins right upon his road. In this event he must avail himself of the opportunity to visit the cathedral, because its glass, although not of sufficient importance to demand breaking a railway journey, is distinctly worth seeing if he is passing the door. Besides, the sacristy of this church contains the splendid fifteenth century triptych, so long attributed to Ghirlandajo, but now conceded to have been the work of an unknown Moulins painter who, for want of more particular information, is called the Master of Moulins. Around the choir ambulatory there are a few canopy windows of the fifteenth century. Most of them are good, but one on the north side is quite remarkable and should be particularly noticed. The scene depicted is the Crucifixion and the background seems to be of a deep ruby. Closer inspection shows it to consist of a multitude of tiny red angels so crowded together as to give the effect, when viewed from a little distance, of a richly damasked surface. The result is as satisfactory as the method of obtaining it is original. There are also some good sixteenth century windows around the choir which are easily distinguishable because the architecture of their canopies is so obviously Renaissance and so far removed from Gothic.
As the automobilist or bicyclist passes through this town, he will be struck by the attractive local feature of large diamond-shaped patterns in black or dark bricks on the red brick walls of the houses. The effect is most decorative.