The Chapels on the north side of the nave (from west to east) are: 1. The Chapelle des Fonts Baptismaux. The bronze carving of the font is by Brachelet. 2. The Chapelle Saint-Charles. There are a statue in painted stone by M. de Chaume and a good piscina. The wall decorations are cold and sombre. 3. The Chapelle de la Sainte-Enfance. It contains a group representing Christ caressing a French and a Chinese child, by M. de Chaume. 4. The Chapelle Saint-Vincent-de-Paul. The decorations of this chapel are somewhat elaborate, and gilding is freely used. 5. The Chapelle de Saint-François-Xavier. There is a group representing the Saint baptising a Chinese. 6. Chapelle de Saint-Landry, with statue by De Chaume. 7. Chapelle de Sainte-Clotilde, with statue by the same artist.
The following are on the south side (west to east):
1. Chapelle des Ames du Purgatoire. Christ rescuing a soul from Purgatory. A statue by De Chaume in coloured stone. The colour scheme of the chapel is warm and brilliant. 2. Chapelle de Sainte-Geneviève. The decorations, which are somewhat profuse, were given by the “dames de l’Institut de l’œuvre de Sainte Geneviève.” 3. Chapelle Saint-Joseph, with statue of Joseph with the Child Jesus in his arms. 4. Chapelle Saint-Pierre. Statue in wood of the saint by M. Corbon. The carved woodwork of the sixteenth century still remains, and includes panels with representations of the Twelve Apostles, St. Germain, and Sainte Geneviève. 5. Chapelle Saint-Anne. 6. Chapelle du Sacré-Cœur. Statue in coloured stone by M. de Chaume. 7. Chapelle de l’Annonciation. With a statue of the Virgin in wood by M. Corbon. Paintings by Perrodin, one of the best pupils of Flandrin, of David, St. Michel, Isaiah, St. Anne, St. Joseph, St. John, St. Luke, St. Augustine, St. Bernard, St. Dominic, and St. Bonaventure.
Before we turn from the nave to the choir and transepts, let us say a few words as to the stained glass, which was once the glory of the church. There is probably no Gothic interior in France which has suffered more terribly from the destruction of its ancient windows than Notre Dame. The coldness and severity which the mural decorations of Viollet-le-Duc vainly strive to mitigate were perhaps not felt at all when the light from every window seemed to be transmitted in glowing and gleaming shafts of every conceivable colour and tone. Fortunately, the old glass still remains in the great rose windows. That over the west door has been described; the others will be noticed in the account of the transepts. The rest of the glass was deliberately destroyed, not by an infuriated mob, but by those in authority, in 1741.
The work of destruction was performed by Jean Leviel and his brother, who cheerfully substituted for the priceless material they removed great sheets of dull, monotonous grisaille, with borders ornamented with the fleur-de-lis. The introduction of grisaille has been quaintly described by Michelet as le protestantisme entrant dans la peinture. Its use at Notre Dame is nothing short of a disaster. Efforts have been made in some parts of the building to replace it with glass of a less sombre character, but these efforts so far have done little to lessen our regret for the calamity of 1741.
Photo
[Ed. Hautecœur, Paris.
ANGLE OF THE CHOIR AND SOUTH TRANSEPT.