A little-known heritage. Paintings from the diocese of Paris from the 15th to the 20th centuries

1. François Gérard (1770-1837)
Saint Teresa of Avila, 1827
Oil on canvas - 172 x 96 cm
Paris, chapelle de
l’Infirmerie Marie-Thérèse
Photo: Diocèse de Paris

See the image in its page

All the works of art recorded in Paris churches before 1905 and the law separating Church and State belonged to the City of Paris, and all those in Notre-Dame belonged to the State. Since then, however, many of them have entered the diocese’s collections, either as gifts or bequests. These works, which are not in the public domain, may be exhibited in religious buildings and visible to the public, or they may be in the outbuildings of these buildings, such as sacristies, or in other places that cannot be visited.

The Commission d’Art Sacré has chosen to exhibit thirteen of these paintings (and one drawing, by Maurice Denis) belonging to the Church at the Collège des Bernardins in Paris. Some of these works would not normally be seen, and many have never been published before, and in some cases have been the subject of recent discoveries. Despite the small number of objects on display, this exhibition is a must-see for all lovers of ancient painting and heritage, and it’s free too, as it only lasts two months.

2. Nicolas Mignard (1606-1668)
Saint Catherine of Alexandria, 1654
Oil on canvas - 166 x 128 cm
Paris, chapelle de l’Infirmerie Marie-Thérèse
Photo: Didier Rykner

See the image in its page

While some of the paintings are of modest quality, many are of great interest. One at least is very well known: it is François Gérard’s Saint Thérèse (ill. 1) from the chapelle de l’Infirmerie Marie-Thérèse, which was notably presented at the Paris Romantique exhibition (see article). It was commissioned for its current location by Céleste de Chateaubriand in 1823, so it is not a gift or bequest but the property of the diocese, which was never transferred to the State, as the institution has always remained within the bosom of the Church. 
Two other…