Amiens Before and During the War 5

Amiens Before and During the War 5

The interior of the theatre is interesting, by reason of the date of its

construction (1773-1779). It is the oldest playhouse in France.

 

Opposite the theatre, the shops of the =Nouvelles Galeries= were

entirely destroyed (_photo below_).

 

_At No. 59, Rue des Trois-Cailloux, to the left of the theatre, is the

Passage du Logis du Roi, where are to be found the remains of the_

"=Logis du Gouverneur du Roi de Picardie=" (_House of the King of

Picardy's Governor, S on outline of tour_).

 

Built about 1520 of brick and stone, the castle was mutilated in the

18th century. The outbuildings now serve various foreign purposes, and

include a café, so that the place has lost most of its interest.

 

Only the =donjon tower=, from which there is a fine view over the whole

city, retains its ancient aspect.

 

_Follow the Rue des Trois-Cailloux to the Place Gambetta, then turn to

the left into the Rue de la République, where, on the right, will be

found:_

 

[Illustration: RUE DES TROIS-CAILLOUX NEAR THE PLACE GAMBETTA

 

("Magasins des Nouvelles Galeries," burnt on June 9th, 1918)]

 

[Illustration: BROKEN STATUE OF MADELEINE DE MUTTEREL

 

(_Tomb of Nicolas de Lannoy, St. Rémy's Church, p. 37_)]

 

=The Church of St. Rémy=, which is being rebuilt on the site of the old

church of the Couvent des Cordeliers (_Convent of the Franciscans or

Grey Friars_).

 

It contains several pieces of =sculpture= by _Blasset_, including the

monumental =tomb= of Nicholas de Lannoy, High Constable of Bourbonnais,

and Madeleine de Mutterel, his wife, with their =statues=

(1631)--_photos on this page_--and a =Virgin= known as the Condé Virgin,

because it was given by the Prince of Condé after his victory at Rocroi.

 

A bomb caused nearly all the roof to fall in and seriously damaged the

stained glass windows.

 

A little further on, on the same side of the street, is the =Museum=.

 

[Illustration: BROKEN STATUE OF NICOLAS DE LANNOY

 

(_Tomb in St. Rémy's Church, p. 37_)]

 

[Illustration: MUSEUM:

 

RIGHT WING OF REAR FAÇADE DAMAGED BY AERIAL TORPEDO IN 1918.]

 

 

THE PICARDY MUSEUM

 

=The Museum= is installed in a spacious building erected in the middle

of the 19th century at the expense of the Society of Antiquaries of

Picardy, and afterwards handed over by it to the City. Most of the

collections had fortunately been removed to a place of safety before the

bombardment of 1918, which damaged the building. Three aerial torpedoes

fell on the right wing of the rear façade (_photo above_), considerably

damaging the collection of drawings by the brothers Duthoit.

 

The Museum will only be re-installed after the necessary repairs have

been done, and as new classifications may then be made, the principal

works of art are here dealt with according to category and date, instead

of room by room.

 

 

A.--Sculpture

 

I.--_Greek and Gallo-Roman Antiquities._

 

=Triple Hecate=: Grecian marble, very finely executed, representing the

three divinities of the lunar month: Diana, Artemicia, and Hecate.

 

Gallo-Roman funeral =stele= with galloping cavalier carved in

demi-relief.

 

Carved =tombstone= representing the deceased, holding lamp and purse,

between two relations.

 

II.--_Middle Age and Renaissance Sculpture._

 

Quadrangular baptismal =font= in pure Roman style.

 

Very fine late 12th century =capitals=, taken from the ancient monastery

of the Premonstrants of Dommartin (Pas-de-Calais).

 

=Tomb= of black Tournai stone, belonging to the first half of the 15th

century, representing _Knight Robert de Bouberch_ in armour.

 

Very fine late 15th century =Virgin= of wood, painted and gilded, taken

from the ancient church of the Minimes d'Amiens.

 

A series of merry monks' =heads= with caricatured features, carved in

oak at the end of the 15th century; very curious; were formerly corbels

supporting the framework of a house in Amiens.

 

III.--_Modern Sculpture._

 

_Puget_, rough =model= in terra-cotta, used for the "Hercule gaulois" in

the Louvre.

 

_Coysevox_, very fine marble =bust= of Regent Philip of Orléans. The wig

is noteworthy, by reason of the exceeding delicacy of execution. Also

=bust of Chauvelin=, intendant of Picardy.

 

_Falguières_, bronze =bust of Gambetta=, particularly expressive.

 

 

B.--Painting.

 

The museum of paintings includes:

 

I.--A series of =decorative paintings= by _Puvis de Chavannes_.

 

II.--Suite of early 16th century pictures of the _Amiens School_.

 

III.--Collections of the City (acquired and given by the State).

 

IV.--Collections of the _brothers Lavalard_, given in 1890 to the City

and comprising 371 pictures, including several very fine works of the

French, Spanish, and Flemish schools.

 

 

1.--Paintings by Puvis de Chavannes:

 

These paintings decorate the walls of the grand staircase leading to the

first floor, and the gallery on the first floor known as the _Puvis de

Chavannes Gallery_.

 

1. WALLS OF THE GRAND STAIRCASE:

 

_Work and Repose._

 

_Ave Picardia Nutrix_ (1865)--_photos, p. 41._

 

_Pro Patria Ludus_ (1882), _one of the artist's masterpieces painted

while he was at his very best_.

 

2. PUVIS DE CHAVANNES GALLERY:

 

_The Spinner, The Reaper, The Standard-Bearer, and Desolation_ are four

long panels between the windows. The first two relate to Peace

(_Concordia_) and the other two to War (_Bellum_).

 

The whole of the paintings by Puvis de Chavannes, having a surface

measurement of more than two hundred square yards, were removed during a

violent bombardment in the spring of 1918. Sappers belonging to the

"_camouflaging_" section of the army, together with firemen from Paris,

carefully detached the canvases with knives and rolled them up on

cylinders.

 

Some of them adhered so tenaciously to the walls that it was found

necessary to cut away a certain thickness of stone with chisels at the

same time as the canvas.

 

The operation was entirely successful, all the paintings being intact,

with the exception of a slight tear in the "_War_" panel caused by a

shell splinter, prior to removal.

 

It is probably in the museum of Amiens that one best realises the

evolution in the decorative art of Puvis de Chavannes, as nearly a

quarter of a century separates the first paintings from the last.

 

[Illustration: DETACHING THE MURAL PAINTINGS BY PUVIS DE CHAVANNES

DURING THE BOMBARDMENTS IN 1918.]

 

[Illustration: "PRO PATRIA LUDUS" (FRAGMENT). (_Cliché LL._)]

 

In those of the gallery, which are among the earliest of his great

decorative compositions, the landscapes are a mere background of sombre

hue, designed to bring out the light foreground figures. The latter are

individualized, the personality of each being revealed in the lines of

the face and general attitude.

 

[Illustration: "PRO PATRIA LUDUS" (FRAGMENT). (_Cliché LL._)]

 

[Illustration: "PRO PATRIA LUDUS" (FRAGMENT). (_Cliché LL._)]

 

Conversely, in the latest works, and especially in _Pro Patria Ludus_,

the landscape is of primary importance, enveloping as it does the whole

composition in a clear, pure atmosphere.

 

[Illustration: "PRO PATRIA LUDUS" (FRAGMENT). (_Cliché LL._)]

 

On the other hand, individuality and detail are carefully suppressed;

human beings are portrayed in their general aspect, with only the

essential to characterize them.

 

[Illustration: "AVE PICARDIA NUTRIX" (FRAGMENT). (_Cliché LL._)]

 

The decorative art is here synthesized to the last degree.

 

[Illustration: "AVE PICARDIA NUTRIX" (FRAGMENT). (_Cliché LL._)]

 

[Illustration: PAINTING OF OUR LADY OF PUY (1518).

 

"_Au juste poix véritable balance._"]

 

 

II.--Paintings of our Lady of Puy

 

The _Brotherhood of Our Lady of Puy_ was a religious, artistic and

literary society founded in the _Middle Ages_ at Amiens, and which

continued down to the 18th century.

 

The _Master_, who was elected each year, was under the obligation of

having a picture painted in honour of the _Virgin_.

 

Several of these paintings, dating from the 16th and 17th centuries,

still exist.

 

All are similar in composition.

 

In the centre, the Virgin surrounded by symbolical figures arrayed in

sumptuous garments, and in the foreground, the donor with relations and

friends.

 

Near by, a scroll inscribed with the _device_ chosen by the Master for

his term of office, and in the background, landscape of living waters

and verdure.

 

The four oldest of these panels, the =wood carving= of whose _frames_ is

remarkable, are considered to be among the most interesting of the early

16th century French School.

 

The _devices_ of these panels are as follows:

 

1. Painting (1518). No. 390 (1911 edition of catalogue): _Au juste poix,

véritable balance_; fine Renaissance frame (_photo above_).

 

2. Painting (1519), No. 391: _Pré ministrant pasture salutaire_;

Gothic-Flamboyant frame.

 

3. Painting (1520), No. 392: _Palme eslute du Seigneur pour Victoire_.

In the fine landscape with river, which forms the background, the city

of Amiens is seen with its cathedral.

 

4. Painting (1521), No. 393, greatly damaged: _Le vray support de toute

créature_.

 

The other panels are more modern and do not offer the same interest.

 

Several other old paintings were formerly to be found in this room,

especially the central panel of a _triptych_ (end 15th century), No.

403, representing Christ blessing, surrounded by the donor and his

family, with St. John the Baptist and St. Barbara.

 

 

III.--Collections belonging to the City of Amiens

 

 

1. French School:

 

_Boucher_: Large composition; _Vénus demandant à Vulcain des armes

pour Enée_ (_Venus asking Vulcan for arms for Aeneas_), No. 46 of

1911 catalogue.

 

_Boucher_ and _Carle van Loo_: Four exquisite hunting panels,

originally designed for the apartments of the King at Versailles.

 

_Boucher_: _Chasse au Crocodile_ (_Crocodile Hunting_), dated 1739

(No. 48). _Chasse au Tigre_ (_Tiger Hunting_), No. 47.

 

_Van Loo_: _Chasse à l'Ours_ (_Bear Hunting_), No. 356. _Chasse à

l'Autruche_ (_Ostrich Hunting_), No. 359.

 

_Nattier_: _Portrait of Gresset_ (No. 266).

 

_Bachelier_: Two pictures forming pendants, _Un Ours de Pologne

attaqué par des chiens_ (_Polish bear attacked by dogs_) No. 9; _Un

lion d'Afrique attaqué par des dogues_ (_African lion attacked by

dogs_), No. 10; and a very large composition (1761): _Les

Amusements de l'enfance_ (_Childhood's Amusements_), No. 8.

 

_Quentin de la Tour_: _His own portrait_, the finest and most

carefully finished of his portraits, painted about 1760 (No. 212)

(_photo below_).

 

_David_: _Countess de Dillon_, lady of honour to Empress

Marie-Louise, full length portrait, strictly academical (No. 108).

 

_Regnault_, contemporary of David and his school: _La Mort de

Priam_ (_Death of Priamus_) (No. 290).

 

_J. Lefebvre_: Several paintings, especially _Portrait of Lady

Godiva_ (No. 223).

 

 

2. Foreign Schools:

 

_Un buveur attablé_ (_Drinker at table_) (No. 427), attributed by

the catalogue to the _Flemish School_ of the middle of the 17th

century, would seem from its powerful realism and general

composition, to have come from the studio of the _Brothers Le

Nain_.

 

_Gérard de Lairesse_, late 18th century, Dutch painter, now

forgotten, but who enjoyed considerable notoriety in his day:

_Portrait of Duchesse Marie de Clèves_ (1671) (No. 206).

 

[Illustration: MAN'S PORTRAIT BY LE GRECO. (_Cliché LL._)]

 

[Illustration: PORTRAIT BY QUENTIN DE LA TOUR OF HIMSELF. (_Cliché

LL._)]

 

 

IV.--Collections of the Brothers Lavalard

 

 

1. Dutch School:

 

_Brekelenkam_ (1623-1688): _Le Savetier_ (_The Cobbler_) (No. 3 in

1911 catalogue).

 

_Gerritz Cuyp_ (1594-1651): _Portrait of a child_. _A Young Baron_

(No. 8).

 

_Van Goyen_ (1596-1696): _Le Port de Dordrecht_ (No. 12). _Le

Départ pour la pêche_ (_Fishing Boats setting out_) (No. 13). _Un

tour au bord d'une rivière_ (_River-side scene_) (No. 14, etc.).

 

_Van Mieris_ (1635-1681): _Liseuse_ (_Reading_) (No. 27).

 

_Salomon Ruysdael_ (1600-1670): _Soleil couchant_ (_Sunset_) (No.

38), and several other landscapes (Nos. 39 to 46).

 

 

2. Flemish School:

 

_Franz Hals_ (1581-1666): Several portraits (Nos. 94 to 96).

 

_Brouwer_ (1605-1638), pupil of Franz Hals: _Un buveur_ (_A

Drinker_) (No. 77).

 

_Jordaens_ (1593-1678): _La Marchande de Volailles_ (_Woman selling

fowls_) (No. 99).

 

_Gonzalès Coques_ (1614-1684): _Exécution de Charles I. sur la

place de White-Hall en 1649_ (_Execution of Charles I, Whitehall,

1649_) (No. 81).

 

 

3. French School:

 

_Louis Boily_: _Un jeune Savoyard_ (_Young Savoyard_) (No. 125).

 

_Boucher_: _Esquisse pour le Triomphe d'Amphitrite_ (_rough sketch

of Amphitrite's Triumph_) (No. 129). _Diane au bain_ (_Diana taking

bath_) (No. 130).

 

_Chardin_: _Lapins de garenne_ (_Wild rabbits_) (No. 137), and

several still-life studies (Nos. 138-140).

 

_Fragonard_: Several small paintings (Nos. 142-147), especially No.

144: _Les Lavandières_ (_Washer-Women_).

 

_Lépicié_, pupil of Carle van Loo: _Portrait de femme âgée_

(_Portrait of Old Woman_) (No. 167). _Studies of children's heads_

(No. 168).

 

_Nattier_: _Portrait de jeune femme_ (_Portrait of a young woman_)

(No. 177).

 

_Hubert-Robert_: _Colin-Maillard_ (_Blindman's Buff_) (No. 188).

 

 

4. Italian School:

 

_Luca Giordano_ (1632-1705): _Musicien accordant sa guitare_

(_Musician tuning his Guitar_) (No. 211).

 

 

5. Spanish School:

 

_Le Greco_ (1548-1625): Very fine _portrait of a man_, the finest

of this artist's paintings in France (No. 212) (_photo_ _p._ 43).

 

_Ribera_ (1588-1656): _La Messe du Pape Grégoire le Grand_

(_Celebration of Mass by Pope Gregory the Great_); very finely

executed; one of this artist's greatest masterpieces; signed:

Joseph de Ribera, Naples, 1654 (No. 239).

 

The museum also contains _interesting drawings by Puvis de Chavannes_

and a fine collection of _drawings_ by the _Brothers Duthoit_ of Amiens

(1820-1870). In these latter drawings, more than 5,000 in number, are

portrayed the _towns and villages of Picardy_, as they appeared before

the disappearance of the local traditions and customs. This collection

was seriously damaged by bombardment.

 

Several =old houses= of Amiens, saved from ruin by the Antiquarian

Society of Picardy, have been rebuilt in the Museum grounds, viz.:

 

Late 15th century house with visible timber-work in left-hand corner.

 

Early 17th century (1619) façade, in right-hand corner. Note the fine

decorative frieze of lions' muzzles.

 

Late 18th century façade, with entrance-door surmounted by a fine

caryatid of bearded man supporting a graceful, wrought-iron balcony on

his shoulders, against the right-hand lateral wall.

 

_Opposite the Museum is the_ =Prefecture=.