HYPNOTIC AND UNFORGETTABLE HOURS

The Trocadero is not on my beaten track even if the MAM is quite close by. However I had seen that there was an exhibition at the Cité de l’Architecture on Contemporary Stained Glass windows. It wasn’t perhaps the theme which caught my eye but Chagall, Soulages and Benzaken…..I have seen a lot of Chagall’s work in churches or chapels around France - even Cathedrals but Soulages?

Marielle and I caught the bus and off we went. Only to be stopped by a barrier half way there. The President of Mexico was visiting and security was certainly taking the visit very seriously. I might add we had the same experience and in the same bus with the same driver on our way back. That was a real coincidence.

The entrance to the contemporary exhibition was not unalike what I had seen at the White Penitents’ Chapel in Aix. And oh bliss, hardly a soul to be seen. I literally gasped when we came in onto this…..Chagall and it could only be Chagall but what an entry…..

This was designed by Chagall in 1958 and part of his first commission from Robert Renard who was in charge of the Metz Catherdral. With the sun behind it, it was a "miracle"

Chagall " La Rose Bleue ou le Christ" 1964

Looking down on the right hand side

Stephane Belzère "La Pensée Divine - 2004 in the Rodez Notre Dame Cathedral

The exhibition dates from 1945 to today. I have never really thought why there should be so many contemporary stained glass windows in churches and then suddenly it became crystal clear. After the war with so many churches bombed and destroyed, public orders were made to repair the windows replacing them by modern art. There were over 130 works created for such edifices with some 30 artists and important ones of the 20th century.

France is the home of this sumptuous art and with the biggest collection of contemporary stained glass windows of all time. It’s eye boggling to see the diversity and in some case the painting by a well known artist like Roualt with the stained glass window next to it.

Of course the Glass Atelier were essential for these creations and beside each artist’s name there is the name of the atelier used. I remember a friend of mother’s who did such work and how specialized and technically difficult it was to do. When you see some of the really large windows and with the little knowledge given in the exhibition or the films showing how the work is made, it then sparks up even more interest in the work around.

There were seven sections, but once again I wont be talking too much about these as I am no historian but will give you a few explanations about each window we saw. Many of the smaller creations belonged to private owners - and some of them were not so small either….

Our first window was by Georges Rouault. What I did not know at all that Rouault was trained as a glass maker and perfectly aware of the steps involved in stained glass production. This was a rare occassion when he had used one of his paintings for the window on the right.

"Veronique" 1945

Eglise Notre-Dame-de-toute Grâce; Plateau d'Assy - 1948

Decorative Flowers 1947

Painting used as model

I knew quite a few of the artists, such as Matisse, Chagall, Soulages, Leger, Lupertz, Da Silva and more…..never had I imagined that so many had contributed to these creations. It was hypnotic, so unique for me. I left the centre in a blaze of color……

Blue Landscape Saint Michel des Bréseux (Doubs) 1963

This is by Alfred Manessier and was among the first non-figurative works to appear in an ancient building, a modest 18th Century church

Matisse - Rockfeller Centre N.Y.

The stained glass was commissioned by Life Magazine for the 1952 Christmas celebrations at the office building in New York in 1953. Paul Bony (Atelier Bony) made this replica in order to create this at his Parisian worship where Matisse was Cimiez

Another big suprise and there would be many. Georges Braque. This replica, created in 1962 by the Glass Maker Charles Marq is a free interpretation of Braque's stained glass window (on the right) for the Chapel. Could a bird stand at better than that? Against those soft tones of a dusky background?

In the Maeght Foundation Chapel

Georges Braque The Maeght Foundation 1962

Composition, 1963

One of my favorite artists. Serge Poliakoff. He created this stained glass window for the 1963 "Art Français" exhibition in Montreal. The energy of that blue gives such depth and space to the window.

Poliakoff was a fervent admirer of the Chatres Cathedral windows and considered that such work was perhaps "the last remaining ways for us to touch the Sublime"....

I was beginning to think that he was right

Benedictine Monastry of Saint-Sacrememnt de Coucrechef- La Folie. 1956

This is called the Creation of the Universe and done by the artist, Sergio de Castro. It's nearly 120 square metres large and designed for the Benedictine Monastry in Caen. In actual fact all those symbols are of the planets and sun as well as framed inscriptions.....I spelt out words for Marielle and then she began to do the same herself

No title

I wonder if you would have guessed who this is? I certainly didn't. Pierre Soulages. It was commissioned for the Aix-La-Chapelle Chapel in 1965 which was looking to increase its collection of contemporary stained glass windows. This work could be described like some of Soulage's paintings as an "icon of the night" and the more I looked at it, the more I could see Soulages. Such a work makes me want to rush off and see the Chapel.

I was showing the photographs to a friend this afternoon. Pierre said at once, "that is Léger. Fernand Léger created it for the Sacré Coeur Church in Audincourt. This of course was a maquette but the photograph of the circular chapel made me think.....oh dear I could be doing the round of churches in France

"Les Chaïnes" toward 1950

For the Evening, towards 5pm

Henri Guérin is a painter who created nearly 600 works in dalle de verre, a technique he learned in an abby workshop. Tempted in his early years by figuration, he then became a fan of the non-figurative.

Now these were really suprising. Marielle had seen the original works in Berlin in 1959 (The Church of Memories of Kaiser Wilhelm) When we looked at the short video, I can't say the windows impressed me. Seeing this though made me change my mind. You see the first stained glass on the left and the colours are vivid without being overly so. Approaching the window, you see at once that there is a double wall - the photo on the left is a tiny sample of this. Next time I'm in Berlin, you know what I will be visiting

Gabriel Loire / Ateliers Loire

Marc Chagall - 1976

No, I did not recognize it as a Chagall. Peace or Tree of Life done in 1976 for the Cordeliers Chapel in Moselle. This is a maquette for the stained glass.

"Jacob's Dream" 1966

This time around, I recognized the Chagall which was created for the Saint-Etienne Cathedral in Metz. I will be in Metz in September, so will definitely make time to visit.

Composition, 1963

We discovered the Portuguese Born artist Vieira da Silva when I first started the blog. She created this window before her work at the Saint Jacques church in Reims. I find the lines and the interweaving in general beautifully highlighted by just small touches of colour. She actually painted the glass herself when the window was completed in the Atelier Simon Marq


Cana's wedding Metz too

Jacques Villon did this as a test panel for the Saint Sacremement Chapel and I guess that it is now in Metz.....

1966

Jean Bazaine's creations. These are described as sketches which were drawn for 8 windows of the Saint Severin Church in Paris - and that my friends is in my quartier. Shame on me, that's what you are saying. Choosing non figurative artist for such a prestigious building and listed too as a historical monument must have paved the way I would think for a new stylistic phase in the history of stained glass. I will take a look this week.

Raoul Ubac

Another amazing window. Raoul Ubac is the artist and it was completed in 1975/76 for the Saint-Cyr et Sainte-Julitte Cathedral in Nevers. I said to Marielle it looks like a long tunnel going to somewhere - eternity?

The surprises continue. Jean-Michel Alberola did this creation in 1998-99. These are just test panels.....

Saint-Cyr et Sainte-Julitte Cathedral in Nevers.

CIVES - 1993 for the Cathedral Notre-Dame-du-Bourg

David Rabinowitch is a Canadian artist whose work I had seen in Montreal. It's not difficult to guess that these are symbols of the formation of planets. They actually seemed to be floating in mid air.

Abbatiale Sainte-Foy Church

This time around, you knew didn't you? Pierre Soulages. Two men, Eric Savilli and Jean Dominique Fleury (where the window was created) produced full-sized sketches from Soulages that provided the composition's guiding lines. They then followed the masters directions, shifting around black adhesive strips and then the glass was cut on top of the black fabric.

1988/99


Silvacane Abbey in 1999

I loved this (too). Done by Sarkis for the Silvacane Abbey in 1999. Sarkis set his fingerprints onto a glass sheet and asked that anonymous fingerprints be left on a different sheet. This is what happened when both sheets were joined.
The windows are an integral part of the abbey. I can imagine that they radiate a blond light when the sun shines.

Ganagobie Monastry - 2005

Another discovery, a Korean artist. Kim En Joong He seems to bring the East Asian calligraphy into glass printing. I remember many similar paintings when I was in Seoul.

4 panels for the Saint Bernard Collegial

I didn't know anything about George Ettl. The Panel is called "The Wounded Men". There are two versions of the same panel which you can see and then the others are called "Man Among Fruits and Foliage" and "The Musician Angels"

Saint-Sulpice Church in Varennes - 2002

Carole Benzaken. You may have noted there are not too many women doing this work. She created these maquettes to the exact dimension of each window. The use of charcoal allowed her to work in black and white which gives this feeling of depth to her work

Rodez Cathedral - 2003-2007

Do I like it or I don't? I'm still not sure as it is quite unique. Stephane Belzère called in the "Fall of the Angels" and it is in actual fact over seven windows. Is it a fight between good and evil? Is it the archangel Saint Michel watching the massacre? It seems like a photographic negative. I have never seen a stained glass window like it

Gerard Garouste 1995

We saw an exhibition of Gerard Garouste not so long ago at the MAM. Called "The Coronation of the Virgin" this is just some of the detail of the 46 windows created for Notre-Dame in Talant. Difficult to see here perhaps that the traditional techniques are used along with fragments of glass discs in relief.

detail of part of the window -200

I hardly expected to see a Martial Raysse, and yet yes, this is reminissent of his paintings. It's called "The Virgin's Head" and was done for a church in the 15th in Paris. The only instruction that Taysse gave when handing over the maquettes was to place the figures in a certain area in the church. I shall have to go and see.

Saint Gratien Gratien Cathedral - 2011

Saint Jean de Lyon Cathedral

Pierre Carron created thi in 2011, so very recently. The project was abandonned for the Tours Cathedral. Carron however, remained faithful to the techniques he used in 1993 in the Orleans Cathedral. The colour of these partridges seem to echo the intense blue of the 18th century. In fact when I first looked at it, I felt it was "old" and not "new".

Three artists worked on this. Jean-Dominique Fleury, Jean-Mauret, Gilles Rousvoal and it has just been completed in 2015. The restoration of the interior began in 2012 which included the creation of new stained glass. The artists were chosen following a competition and had never worked together before. This is only a partial replica of the transept window. It's somehow very nice to think that in this troubled time, churches are perhaps more up to date in their creations and taking more risks than many individuals.

This was one of the most unexpected exhibitions that I have seen in years and sharing it with Marielle made it doubly pleasurable.