7/2/24 - Restauration and fundraising - Vincennes, église Saint-Louis - Of course, you have to push open the door. From the street, its silhouette is austere, clad in millstone and red brick (ill. 1), but inside, the Saint-Louis de Vincennes church reveals admirable architecture and décor. With no pillars to block the view, the vast nave is surmounted by two pairs of reinforced concrete arches intersecting at right angles (ill. 2). Its ornamentation harmoniously combines glass, ceramics, painting and sculpture.
Built between 1914 and 1924 by Jacques Droz and Joseph Marrast, it combines tradition and modernity, ancient techniques and contemporary materials. The centered Greek cross plan was inspired by Byzantine architecture, while fresco painting on the walls was handing over to modern tastes, but was applied to reinforced concrete, offering a more varied chromatic range in the 20th century. As for the skylights, they are set in cement. The artists called upon by the Diocese were part of the Ateliers d’art sacré (Sacred Art Workshops), created in 1919 with the aim of renewing creative activity within the Church.
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- 1. Jacques Droz (1882-1955) and
Joseph Marrast (1881-1971)
Saint Louis de Vincennes, consecrated in 1924
Photo: Parishes of Notre-Dame de Saint-Mandé
and Saint-Louis de Vincennes - See the image in its page
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- 2. Jacques Droz (1882-1955) et
Joseph Marrast (1881-1971)
Saint-Louis de Vincennes, consacrée en 1924
Photo: Parishes of Notre-Dame de Saint-Mandé
and Saint-Louis de Vincennes - See the image in its page
The Stations of the Cross are composed of surprisingly large scenes, designed by Henri Marret. Maurice Denis is the author of the Beatitudes that unfold in the upper section, also frescoed (ill. 3 and 4). While Marret worked alone, Denis surrounded himself with a team including Gabrielle Faure, Charles Plessard and Maurice Lavergne. We also owe him the great choir composition, La Glorification of Saint Louis, created later in 1927, for which he preferred to use Stic B, an industrial paint invented in 1919 by Pierre Bertin, which could be applied directly to concrete and cement plaster (ill. 5 and 6). Denis first used it at Saint Louis, and was obviously pleased with the results, since he used the product on several subsequent occasions.
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- 3. Henri Marret (1878-1964)
Station of the Stations of the Cross
The Descent from the Cross
Peinture à fresque
Vincennes, église Saint-Louis
Photo: bbsg - See the image in its page
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- 4. Maurice Denis (1870-1943)
Beatitude: Blessed are the simple-minded, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven
Fresco and other techniques
Vincennes, église Saint-Louis
Photo: Parishes of Notre-Dame de Saint-Mandé
and Saint-Louis de Vincennes - See the image in its page
The ceramics adorning the pulpit, high altar and communion table are the work of Maurice Dhomme, who was influenced by his trip to Italy, where he discovered the della Robbia faiences in Florence and the great Byzantine mosaics of Ravenna. The ironwork was created by Raymond Subes, Carlo Sarrabezolles designed the sculpture of Saint Louis under the entrance porch, while Armand Boutrolles designed the statues above the side altars, the Sacred Heart and the Virgin and Child. The two architects, Droze and Marrast, ensured the unity of the decor, with hues and motifs echoing from one material to another. The building’s undeniable boldness influenced other buildings, notably the Church of the Saint-Esprit in Paris, built in 1928, where some of the artists from Saint-Louis are also to be found.
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- 5. Maurice Denis (1870-1943)
Glorification of saint Louis, 1927
Stic B wall paint
Vincennes, église Saint-Louis
Photo: Parishes of Notre-Dame de Saint-Mandé
and Saint-Louis de Vincennes - See the image in its page
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- 6. Maurice Denis (1870-1943)
Glorification of saint Louis, 1927
Cleaning tests
Vincennes, église Saint-Louis
Photo: bbsg - See the image in its page
Consecrated a hundred years ago, the Vincennes church was listed ("classée") as a Monument Historique in its entirety in 1996: "the unity of this edifice, its daring construction, will make its notoriety among architects. Long before the Chantiers du cardinal, he clearly laid down the principles: economy, simplicity, a quest for the essence of tradition combined with the use of contemporary materials, and forms adapted to pastoral needs". It’s high time to restore this jewel in its entirety. Between 2012 and 2021, several campaigns were carried out to overhaul the roofs, bring the rainwater drainage system up to standard and restore the exterior facades, at a cost of 1,755,000 euros. The Diocese had already launched a fundraising campaign in 2018 to finance part of the work (see news item of 11/14/18). The main entrance is crowned by a canopy, itself overhung by a glass roof, which has regained its watertightness. Marret’s frescoes on either side of the entrance door and on the canopy have been restored, as have the Sarrabezolles sculpture and the Subes gate.
Now it’s time to restore the interior décor to its former glory. Restoration is scheduled to take place in three phases: the south aisles and baptismal font began in June 2023 and will be completed in April 2024; the north aisles will follow in spring 2024, until early 2025; finally, the nave and choir should ideally be completed by 2025. All that remains is to find the funds...
The work is being directed by Pierre Antoine Gatier, chief architect of historic monuments, while the decoration is being entrusted to Alix Laveau, a heritage restorer. The total cost of these three stages is estimated at 2,746,000 euros. The Drac, the Ile-de-France region and the towns of Vincennes and Saint-Mandé are contributing 1,750,662 euros. However, the church, built after 1905, does not belong to the town, so the Diocese still needs to find a million (more precisely 995,769 euros) and is appealing to private and public sponsors. Donations can be made either directly to the Diocese, which will issue tax receipts, or through the Fondation du Patrimoine.
The ceramics will be cleaned and the lighting improved, as the openings in the walls, made of glass blocks embedded in cement, are far from adequate. Originally, some fifteen crown-shaped chandeliers provided light and were an integral part of the décor. Unfortunately, they have now disappeared, but there are plans to restore them. The big job is undoubtedly the painted decor, which needs to be dusted, consolidated and cleaned. A reintegration should fill the few gaps, before a general harmonization restores the overall unity.
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- 7. Henri Marret (1878-1964)
Two Stations of the Cross
Fresco painting
Cracks, drips and salt inflorescences on frescoes
Vincennes, église Saint-Louis
Photo: bbsg - See the image in its page
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- 8. Maurice Denis (1870-1943)
Beatitude: Blessed are the poor in spirit, for they shall see God
Fresco and other techniques
Vincennes, église Saint-Louis
Photo : bbsg - See the image in its page
As Arianne Palla, a member of Alix Laveau’s team, points out, the painted decor is in relatively good condition, with little loss of material. Above all, it suffers from severe soiling. A few cracks are appearing in places, and salt runs and efflorescences on the frescoes are due to water infiltration. Several partial detachments have been spotted, as have traces of wear (ill. 7 and 8). We also need to identify old restorations carried out in the 1990s using unsuitable products, notably synthetic resins, which have leaked in places, producing blackish deposits or an unsuitable gloss effect. You have to be able to distinguish the repainting from the original material, which is not always easy.
The Stations of the Cross and the Beatitudes are frescoed, while the rest of the ochre walls and friezes are painted with whitewash. The rest of the ochre walls and friezes are painted with whitewash, yet the restorers have decided to treat the entire decoration in the same way: the background plaster, the friezes and the historiated scenes. Cleaning is carried out with demineralized water on Japanese paper applied to the support. The dirt softens on contact with the paper, and can be removed by tapping with a sponge once the paper has been removed (ill. 9 and 10). For the background, a uniform result is required, and this is not easy, as the surface is immense and restorers on their scaffolding have little hindsight.
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- 9. Cleaning is carried out using demineralized water on Japanese paper applied to the support, which is then removed.
Vincennes, église Saint-Louis
Photo: bbsg - See the image in its page
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- 10. Cleaning is carried out using demineralized water on Japanese paper applied to the surface. Once the Japanese paper has been removed, the dirt is removed by tapping with a sponge.
Vincennes, église Saint-Louis
Photo: bbsg - See the image in its page
A fresco: as the name suggests, fresco painting is carried out on damp plaster. The pigments, diluted in water, are applied to fresh plaster and bonded to the plaster once it has dried. Not only do you have to work fast, but no mistakes are allowed. At Saint Louis, as recalled by Marie Bégué, in charge of the fresco restoration project, we were dealing with "a friable plaster with incomplete carbonation of the colors. It is assumed that the technique used was either poorly mastered, or that the presence of concrete prevented the plaster from setting completely".
Twentieth-century artists also took a few liberties. Marret, for example, dared to mix techniques: in addition to fresco, he used tempera paint, applied a pictorial layer over dry plaster, and added textural effects with fine or coarser sands. Restoration is a complex process, and one that will undoubtedly prove formative for young graduates of the Institut National du Patrimoine, who work alongside experienced restorers.
For the Beatitudes, Maurice Denis chose a light color for the skin tones and rays of light, a white yellow, painted dry rather than fresco. Difficult to remove the grime from these parts, a compromise had to be found.
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- 11. The giornate visible in low-angled light.
Vincennes, église Saint Louis
Photo: bbsg - See the image in its page
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- 12. Traces of pouncing patterns
Vincennes, église Saint-Louis
Photo: bbsg - See the image in its page
On the scaffolding, with their noses to the wall, the restorers dissect the fresco work: the low-angled light makes it possible to see the delimitation between the different giornata, on the same composition (ill. 11). A giornata corresponds to the laying of a plaster for a day’s work in the cool of the day. Henri Marret would work a station of the Stations of the Cross in two or three days. The dotted lines of the poncifs (ill. 12) can also be seen on the Beatitudes and Passion scenes, allowing a preparatory drawing to be transferred to the surface to be painted. In some cases, we even come across fingerprints pressed into the wall: the painter has felt the plaster to check whether it was ready, but it was obviously still a little too fresh.
For the Glorification of Saint Louis, painted with industrial paints applied to dry plaster, the cleaning was carried out by gumming, with a few repeats for cracks. The king dispenses justice under a large oak tree. He looks kindly on a poor man who opposes a haughty figure. Several famous figures can be seen in the assembly, including Étienne Boileau, Provost of Paris, with his Livre des Métiers, and Robert de Sorbon, founder of the Sorbonne. The painter’s contemporaries are also represented: Eugène Chevalier, collector, Ker Xavier Roussel, Marthe Denis. But if the beauty of this work is to uplift the souls of the faithful and delight the eyes of connoisseurs, we have to remain down-to-earth and worry about financing its restoration.