Apostle of the Sainte Chapelle

Apostle of the Holy Chapel
Paris, 1241-1248
Stone
H. 1.65 m
Paris, Sainte-Chapelle of the City Palace
Musée des Monuments français (Museum of French Monuments);
Mont Valérien Calvary; date assumed 1850;
Cl. 18665

In 1248, King Louis IX had the Holy Chapel consecrated. He had commissioned its construction to shelter the Crown of Thorns relic. The statues of the twelve apostles bearing their distinctive emblems and a consecration cross, standing before the pillars in the high chapel, formed a procession accompanying Christ, whose presence was represented by the reliquary. The statues were removed during the Revolution; six of them were not put back during the 19th century restorations, at which time they took their place at the Museum. Among these, one stands out with its melancholy expression highlighting the extraordinary quality of these pieces. They undeniably mark the height of what is known as the Parisian Classicism of the 13th century. The statues in the North Transept of the Notre Dame of Paris ou the rood screen of the Bourges Cathedral are other examples. The balanced pose, the calmed drape, the serence expression all harmoniously evoke the rare moment of art in peaceful perfection.