Castles and Chateaux of Old BurgundyMansfield, M. F. (Milburg Francisco)
History
Castles and Chateaux of Old Burgundy
Mansfield, M. F. (Milburg Francisco)
Burgundy (France) -- Description and travel; Castles -- France -- Burgundy
A gallery of mythological paintings opens out of the vestibule and leads
to the seventeenth century chapel, which contains a "Descent from the
Cross," by Peregrin, and other religious paintings of the Flemish
school. Distributed throughout the various apartments are numerous
paintings and portraits by Mignard, Nattier, Philippe-de-Champaigne, and
others, and some pastels by Quentin de la Tour.
The chimney-pieces throughout are notable for their gorgeousness; that
in the Chambre des Archevèques, at least a dozen feet high, is decorated
with two pairs of massive caryatides and other statuettes in relief. On
another is a carven bust of Coligny, the Admiral, with a cast of
countenance suggesting a sinister leer towards the statue of a sphinx
which is supposed to represent the features of Catherine de Medicis.
The paintings of the Tour de la Ligue, supposedly by Primataccio,
representing mythological divinities in the personages of the members of
the court of the Medicis, bespeak a questionable taste on the part of
the Colignys who caused them to be put there. It would seem as though
spite had been carried too far, or that the artist was given carte
blanche to run a riot of questionable fantasy for which no one stood
responsible. All these gods and goddesses of the court are, if not
repulsive, at least unseemly effigies. Catherine herself is there as
Juno, her son Charles IX as Pluto, the Admiral as Hercules, Guise as
Mars, and Venus, of course, bears the features of the huntress, Diane de
Poitiers.
About as far south from Tonnerre as Tanlay is to the eastward is
Ancy-le-Franc. It is in exactly the same position as Tanlay; its charms
are pretty generally unknown and unsung, but its sixteenth century
chateau of the Clermont-Tonnerre family is one of the wonder works of
its era. Rather more admirably designed to begin with than many of its
confrères, and considerably less overloaded with meaningless ornament,
it has preserved very nearly its original aspect without and within. The
finest apartments have been conserved and decorated to-day with many
fine examples of the best of Renaissance furnishings. This one may
observe for himself if he, or she, is fortunate enough to gain entrance,
a procedure not impossible of accomplishment though the edifice is not
usually reckoned a sight by the guide-books.
At present the Marquis de Clermont-Tonnerre holds possession of the
property, and keeps it up with no little suggestion of its former
magnificent state.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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