Page 158 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Paris

156  P ARIS AREA B Y AREA

Exploring the Musée de Cluny’s Collection

Alexandre du Sommerard settled in the Hôtel de Cluny in Stained Glass
1833 and installed his art collection with great sensi tivity
to the surroundings and a strong sense of the dramatic. Most of the Cluny’s glass from
After his death, the hôtel and its contents were sold to the the 12th and 13th centuries is
French. The oldest examples
State and turned into a museum. were originally installed in
the Basilique­Cathédrale de
Carvings St­Denis in 1144. There are
also three fragments from the
The diverse techniques of Troyes Cathedral, destroyed by
medieval European wood­ fire, two of which illustrate the
carvers are well represented. life of St Nicholas while the
From the Nottingham work­ third depicts that of Christ.
shops in England, there are Numerous panels came
wood as well as alabaster to the Cluny from Sainte­
works which were widely used Chapelle (see pp88–9),
as altarpieces all over Europe. during its mid­19th­century
Among the smaller works of restoration, and were never
this genre are The School, which returned, including five
is touchingly realistic and dates scenes from the story of
from the early 16th century. Samson dating from 1248.
Upstairs, there are some fine The technique of contrasting
Flemish and south German coloured glass with surround­
The Arithmetic tapestry woodcarvings. The multi­ ing grisaille (grey­and­white
coloured figure of St John panels) developed in the latter
Tapestries is typical. Two notable altar­ half of the 13th century. Four
pieces on display are the panels from the royal château
The tapestries are remarkable intricately carved and at Rouen illustrate this.
for their quality, age and state of painted Lamentation
preservation. In The Arithmetic, of Christ (about 1485)
arithmetic – one of the liberal from the Duchy of
arts of the Quadrivium alongside Clèves, and the
geometry, astronomy and Averbode altarpiece,
music – is personified by an which was made in
elegant female figure, who is 1523 in Antwerp,
counting tokens while consulting and depicts three
the book given as a present by scenes including
one of the surrounding men. the Last Supper.
More everyday scenes are shown Not to be missed
in the magnificent series The is a beautiful full­
Noble Life (about 1500). Upstairs is length figure of Stained-glass scene from Brittany (1400)
the Lady with the Unicorn series. Mary Magdalene.
The School woodcarving (English,
early 16th century)

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