Praxiteles

Ste Marie Majeure, Marseilles, built by the famous Archbishop de Mazenod to plans by Henry (Henri-Jacques) Espérandieu and Léon Vaudoyer.

Here it is, and we have not seen it before. The recessed arch facade as in Hagios Lukas, is most interesting:

Some historical pictures here:

http://www.culture.gouv.fr/culture/inventai/itiinv/cathedrale/docimage/marseille/cat_marseille2.html

While being beside the seaside this year, Praxiteles had time to read J. B. Bullen’s Byzantium Rediscovered, a most ingrossing account of the history of the neo-Byzantine movement in 19th/20th century Eurpope and America. Published by Phaidon in 2006, it is an absolute must for anyone interested in discovering the range of ideas and influences behind the construction of churches such as Bentley’s Westminster Cathedral, the Sacré Coeur in Paris, Ste Marie Majeure and Notre Dame de la Garde in Marseilles, and even our own University Chapel in Dublin and St. Francis’ in Cork.

@Rhabanus wrote:

Is this a film about the HACK, as the title suggests? Could be a real melodrama! Or is it a horror film? Perhaps an Irish western along the lines of High Noon ….

Rhabanus hopes that the FOSCC will make at least a cameo appearance. He knows who will be wearing the white hats and who will sport the black hats in this movie!

Some film companies pay to have the site cleaned up when they film in a given building. This may be what the cathedral authorities have been waiting for … How’s that for a deus ex machina? Deus ex RTE?

Deus ex RTE !!!!!

St. Colman’s Cathedral, Cobh, Co. Cork

The Altar of the Crucifix in the south transept

Some interesting arial photograhs of Cork churches:

http://www.irelandaerialphotography.com/aerial_churches/0001.html

Having read Christine Casey’s comments on Cahill’s Celtic Cross outside the main door of St. Peter’s Church, Phibsborough, in the recently published Studies in the Gothic Revival, Four Courts Press, edited by Micahel McCarthy and Karina O’Neill, Praxiteles has begun to collect pictures of celtic revival Crosses. Praxiteles came across these two beauties in a remote country church yard last week:

Well, lo and behold!

Mass goers this Sunday were met at the main door of Cobh Cathedral by a notice announcing that one of the screen panels had been “guinea-pigged” to test a varnish which, it is hoped, will soon be splashed accross all the doors and screens of the Cathedral.

Authority was added to the notice by three affixed (perhaps premonitiory)signatures: Chris Southgate who, we believe is a conservation engineer; PJ Hegarty, a well known company of Cork builders; and the person who supplied the paint whose name is all but forgotten. Mention was also made of Corner Stone Construction, a local Cobh firm.

However, no mention was made of any declaration of exemption having been sought for this work from Cobh Town Council -most of whose agents can be relied upon to have been away on holidays AGAIN- and no mention of an application for Planning Permission. I expect that there will be more than a few telephone calls to the Town Hall about this “intervention” – and it seems that the Town Ccuncil people have forgotten about their oblidging oversight that allowed two hoodlums to enter the Cathedral in the dead of night an bore holes in the floor of the sanctuary!!

St. Louis, Bordeaux

Detail from the window of the north transept: St. Louis leading his army into battle against the infidel.

St. Louis, Bordeaux

The South elevation

The High ALtar

The enamel work panels of the High Altar depicting scenes from the life of St. Louis (IX), King of France.

St Louis des Chartrons, Bordeaux

And here we have a bvery interesting French essay in the neo-gothic. The church was built between 1878 and 1883 and contains very fine glass from the Chartres works by Feur.

Here we have three shots of the south transept.