Historical Images of Notre-Dame de Paris: A Collection by Sharon Kabel (Part 2)

Here is the second part of Sharon Kabel’s collection of images of the interior of Notre-Dame de Paris, which she gracious agreed to share with us: the first part was published on Wednesday. This covers the period from the Revolution to modern times, during which the church was severely damaged in more than one way. The motto of the city of Paris is “Fluctuat, nec mergitur – it is tossed by the waves, but not sunk”, and this applies to its cathedral as well, as these images beautifully show.

1790 A Te Deum sung at Notre-Dame on February 14, 1790, commemorating the session of Parliament of Feb. 4, for which the king was present. (This was an attempted reconciliation between King Louis XVI and the revolutionaries, which would soon fail.) Imprimerie des Revolutions: Paris.

https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/btv1b6948087c?rk=42918;4#

1793 An idolatrous festival celebrated in the cathedral, dyring which the Jacobins had an actress sit on the high altar, dressed as the goddess Reason. 1793, J. M. Will: Augsburg. https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/btv1b52509803t?rk=1373397;2

1800s Charles Percier. The choir of Notre-Dame before the restoration by M. Viollet-le-Duc. Bibliothèque nationale de France. https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/btv1b103033087?rk=879832;4

1800s A drawing of the sanctuary, 1163-c.1250, as conceived in the 19th cent. Paris: Notre-Dame Cathedral Ref.: drawings sanctuary. https://library-artstor-org.ezaccess.libraries.psu.edu/asset/ARTSTOR_103_41822003354576

1802 Aubert, M. (1920). Notre-Dame de Paris: sa place dans l’histoire de l’architecture du XIIe au XIVe siècle. [Paris]: Librarie Renouard.

https://hdl.handle.net/2027/njp.32101075986990?urlappend=%3Bseq=51%3Bownerid=2702159777 0049409-55

1804 Jacques-Louis David, and Georges Rouget. Coronation of the monster Napoleon I and the Empress Josephine in Notre-Dame de Paris, December 2, 1804. Between 1805 and 1807. Louvre Museum.

1804 The monster crowning his wife at the altar. (Napoléon Ier, empereur des Français. Marseille, MuCEM, Musée des Civilisations de l’Europe et de la Méditerranée. Photo (C) RMN-Grand Palais (MuCEM) / Jean-Gilles Berizzi. https://www.photo.rmn.fr/archive/02-016485-2C6NU0GNAX8F.html

1804 Fill, Phil. Jos. The anointing and solemn crowning of the monster and his wife. (L’onction et le couronnement solemnel de Sa Majesté impériale Napoléon, premier, empereur des Français et de Sa Majesté impériale Joséphine, impératrice, par sa sainteté le suprême Pontife Pie VII, dans l’église de Notre-Dame à Paris, le 11 frimaire an 13. https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/btv1b8413272f/f1.item)

1807 Interior view of Notre-Dame, facing the main altar. (The Miriam and Ira D. Wallach Division of Art, Prints and Photographs: Art & Architecture Collection, The New York Public Library. «Vue de l’intérieur de l’Église de Notre-Dame, en regardent le Mâitre-Antel.» New York Public Library Digital Collections. Accessed June 30, 2023. https://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/510d47e2-ab1a-a3d9-e040-e00a18064a99)

1810 An oath-swearing ceremony, before a solemn Mass of the Holy Spirit in the choir. (Prestation du serment des évêques après la messe du Saint-Esprit célébrée dans le choeur de la Basilique de Notre Dame de Paris : [estampe]. 1810-1811, A Paris, chez Jean, rue S.t-Jean de Beauvais, N° 10. Bibliothèque nationale de France. https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/btv1b8413647r)

1810 Nicolas-Marie-Joseph Chapuy. Interior view. (Vue de l’intérieur de l’église Notre-Dame Métropole de Paris. 1810. Osterreichische Nationalbibliothek.)

1811 The baptism of Napoléon François Charles, king of Rome. (This is the monster’s son by his second wife, Marie Louise of Austria; “king of Rome” was the title of the heir apparent under the First Empire.) Photo (C) RMN-Grand Palais (MuCEM) / Jean-Gilles Berizzi. https://www.photo.rmn.fr/archive/02-011982-2C6NU0GK29RP.html

1800s Adrien Dauzats. Interior view of Notre-Dame, with the great statue of Saint Christopher. Bibliothèque nationale de France. https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/btv1b10303306b?rk=922751;2

1800s Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Paris. The choir and main altar, with statues of King Louis XIII and XIV, and six bronze angels. 19th century. Photo (C) Ministère de la Culture - Médiathèque du patrimoine et de la photographie, Dist. RMN-Grand Palais / image RMN-GP.

https://www.photo.rmn.fr/archive/21-550765-2C6NU0A5A6LEG.html

1840s Reproduction of a design of Eugène Viollet-le-Duc, the great 19th century restorer of Notre-Dame, fo an organ behind the main altar. by Emmanuel-Louis Mas. (Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Paris. Reproduction d’un dessin d’Eugène Emmanuel Viollet-le-Duc. Projet pour un orgue. Photo (C) Ministère de la Culture - Médiathèque du patrimoine et de la photographie, Dist. RMN-Grand Palais / Emmanuel-Louis Mas. https://www.photo.rmn.fr/archive/19-537127-2C6NU0AX5WAZB.html)

1880 The high altar. Bibliothèque Historique de la Ville de Paris. https://bibliotheques-specialisees.paris.fr/ark:/73873/pf0002224853/0001.locale=en

1900. Interior of the great Notre Dame cathedral, Paris, France. France, 1900. Photograph. https://www.loc.gov/item/2019641463/

1931 Funeral of General Joseph Joffre, on Jan. 7. (Agence Rol. Agence photographique (commanditaire). [7 janvier 1931, obsèques de Joffre à Notre-Dame de Paris] : [photographie de presse] / [Agence Rol]. 1931. Bibliothèque nationale de France. https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/btv1b53238542w

2013 Larry Koester. Notre-Dame’s high altar with the kneeling statues of Louis XIII and Louis XIV. February 14, 2013.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/larrywkoester/50802352532/0. CC-BY 2.0

2014 View of the choir, and of the ugly new altar installed by Cardinal Lustiger in 1989, happily destroyed by the fire of April 2019. (Tapis monumental du chœur - 012. Thesupermat. CC-BY-SA 3.0.)