Our Fathers Have Told Us: Part I. The Bible of AmiensRuskin, John
History
Our Fathers Have Told Us: Part I. The Bible of Amiens
Ruskin, John
Cathédrale d'Amiens; France -- History
In 1516, another and an important name appears on the accounts,--that
of Jean Trupin, 'a simple workman at the wages of three sous a day,'
but doubtless a good and spirited carver, whose true portrait it is
without doubt, and by his own hand, that forms the elbow-rest, of the
85th stall (right hand, nearest apse), beneath which is cut his name
JHAN TRUPIN, and again under the 92nd stall, with the added wish, 'Jan
Trupin, God take care of thee' (_Dieu te pourvoie_).
The entire work was ended on St. John's Day, 1522, without (so far as
we hear) any manner of interruption by dissension, death, dishonesty,
or incapacity, among its fellow-workmen, master or servant. And the
accounts being audited by four members of the Chapter, it was found
that the total expense was 9488 livres, 11 sous, and 3 obols
(decimes), or 474 napoleons, 11 sous, 3 decimes of modern French
money, or roughly four hundred sterling English pounds.
For which sum, you perceive, a company of probably six or eight good
workmen, old and young, had been kept merry and busy for fourteen
years; and this that you see--left for substantial result and gift to
you.
I have not examined the carvings so as to assign, with any decision, the
several masters' work; but in general the flower and leaf design in the
traceries will be by the two head menuisiers, and their apprentices; the
elaborate Scripture histories by Avernier, with variously completing
incidental grotesque by Trupin; and the joining and fitting by the
common workmen. No nails are used,--all is morticed, and so beautifully
that the joints have not moved to this day, and are still almost
imperceptible. The four terminal pyramids 'you might take for giant
pines forgotten for six centuries on the soil where the church was
built; they might be looked on at first as a wild luxury of sculpture
and hollow traceries--but examined in analysis they are marvels of order
and system in construction, uniting all the lightness, strength, and
grace of the most renowned spires in the last epoch of the Middle ages.'
The above particulars are all extracted--or simply translated, out of
the excellent description of the "Stalles et les Clotures du Choeur"
of the Cathedral of Amiens, by MM. les Chanoines Jourdain et Duval
(Amiens, Vv. Alfred Caron, 1867). The accompanying lithographic
outlines are exceedingly good, and the reader will find the entire
series of subjects indicated with precision and brevity, both for the
woodwork and the external veil of the choir, of which I have no room
to speak in this traveller's summary.]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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