THE ORGAN, CHURCH OF ST. MICHEL
In the Middle Ages it was customary to represent the Virgin standing in contemplation of the wounds of her Divine Son, as described in the famous chant, Stabat Mater Dolorosa. In the 15th century, on the contrary, the Virgin was generally represented as described in the Gospel of Nicodemus. In Richier’s group we see the Virgin, supported by St. John, fainting at the foot of the Cross. The extreme simplicity of the work renders it most pathetic.
THE HÔTEL DE LA DIVISION AND CHEVET OF ST. MICHEL CHURCH
This work is only a fragment of a much larger group which comprised a large Crucifix, and on either side of the Virgin, St. Longin, Mary Magdalene and four angels, each holding a chalice to catch the Saviour’s blood. The work was in painted walnut, as had been the custom from the Middle Ages, but the worm-eaten wood gradually crumbled away. In 1720 the Benedictines managed to save the crucifix and the group of “The Swoon.” The crucifix is supposed to have been burnt during the Revolution (1792). Now all that remains is a moulding of Christ’s head.