| Fig. 52.—Noyon. Capital from the apse. | Fig. 53.—Laon. Capital. |
| Fig. 54.—Sens. | Fig. 55.—Nôtre Dame. |
At this point I ought to mention the introduction (though of somewhat earlier date) of what the French call the capital “à crochet.” I exhibit a sketch showing its origin from a plain unruffled leaf, which accompanied the Byzantine acanthus ([Fig. 51]). This plain leaf may be seen in a simple form in the apsidal columns at Noyon, in a more advanced state in the nave of the same church, and at Laon (which, however, is a good deal later), and pretty well developed at Sens, and at Montmartre. In Nôtre Dame the capital à crochet assumes a considerable importance, and in the west front is used in its most perfect purely conventional form; while a little later, as at the Sainte Chapelle, it is decked and entwined with natural leaves in the most elegant manner imaginable. No feature which arose during the French transition is so universal in its influence on the architecture of other countries. In France its use is often carried to a vicious excess; but, used in moderation, it is a very valuable element in the architecturalisation of foliage.
| Fig. 56.—Sainte Chapelle. | Fig. 57.—Sainte Chapelle. | Fig. 58.—St. Remi, Rheims, W.E. |