Two Architectural Drawings. Reconstruction Of Verdun Cathedral In 1756 (meuse).

Reconstruction of Verdun Cathedral in 1756 (Meuse). Two drawings. Verdun Cathedral, the oldest cathedral in Lorraine, was built from the 10th century in the Rhenish Romanesque style and consecrated in 1147 by Pope Eugene III. It was modified in the 14th century by the architect Pierre Perrat and enlarged in the 15th and 16th centuries in the Flamboyant Gothic style. On April 2, 1755, the cathedral was seriously damaged by lightning and a fire. It was rebuilt according to the wishes of Bishop Chrétien-François de Nicolaï and Canon Chaligny de Plaine, with elements of the Baroque and Rococo styles that still give it its heterogeneous appearance today. In a modernist spirit typical of the Age of Enlightenment, Canon de Plaine was keen to restore the building to its divine grandeur by covering its Romanesque and Baroque elements with contemporary motifs, including the installation of organs by the Nancy organ builder Nicolas Dupont, the filling in of the crypt (which would be rediscovered after the First World War), the installation of carved wooden stalls and the destruction of the rood screen in favor of the construction of a sumptuous canopy with twisted columns inspired by that of Saint Peter's in Rome. We present here two drawings dating from this period of reconstruction: a longitudinal section showing the modifications to the choir and the transept crossing, and a transverse section of the transept with the new canopy. a) "Verdun, 1756: Profile or Section of the Middle of the Cathedral, Internally Representing the Façade of the Sanctuary, Choir, Crossing and Part of the Nave". Pen, India ink and black, pink and yellow ink wash. 85.5 x 114 cm. Drawing on canvas, with some restored tears. Note at top left: "Na: the Loose Sheets represent the proposed Project to place the Choir in the Roman style, by placing the sanctuary in the middle of the Crossing which would be closed by a marble balustrade, and by transposing the stalls around the current sanctuary which in this case would become the choir." Section of the choir, the crossing of the transept and part of the nave, with the framework visible under the roof. Three revetments hide the crypt, the choir, the vestibule of the sacrament and the Crossing of St Martin, to show the new elements, including a balustrade decorated with fire pots, ornamented bays, pillars and pilasters with Corinthian capitals and the carved wooden stalls. b) “Section of the old cathedral of Verdun taken from the crossing”. Pen, India ink and black and pink ink wash. 46 x 84.2 cm, in a modern frame. Lined sheet. Some traces along the upper edge. This drawing shows us in particular in the center the canopy desired by the Canon of Plaine. Very inspired by Bernini's canopy at Saint Peter's in Rome, it is almost a reduced reproduction. Located in front of the east choir (Verdun Cathedral also has an old choir to the west), at the crossing of the transept, it is preceded by a communion barrier. On either side of the canopy, in the drawing, are represented the decorations of two side walls with their tabernacle altars: the one on the south side is dedicated to a holy bishop, the one on the north side to the Virgin and Child. Ref. 9-81