Monday, November 10, 2014

Interiors

Wasn't that a Woody Allen movie? I'm talking about the inside of the church in Montréal (Yonne). Like I said before, going inside was a last minute decision. I went first while Ken stayed outside with Callie.

Pews inside the church.

It's a jewel of a place. And because I was limiting my photos with the 50mm lens, I couldn't get wide shots inside. I had to make do with close ups. But I'm not complaining. I probably saw things close up that I may not have if I had the wide angle lens.

The widest shot I could get of the altar.

Some of the seating in the church, ornate pews called stalles, is adorned with intricate carvings. The stalles were built using funds donated by king François Ier. He enjoyed the reception he got while visiting Montréal and decided to give them some money which the monks used to have these carvings made.

This carving is called "The Presentation of Jesus at the Temple."

There's not much more to say about this place. I was inside for all of five minutes. Ken took a lot more photos inside than I did. Maybe he'll post a few on his blog when he gets done with the Paris pictures he's currently doing.

A close-up with a recently embroidered banner.

10 comments:

  1. Yes it was - 'interiors' (1978) was one of Allen's few forays into serious drama, and a most effective film it was too. Why it's been so unjustly neglected since then is beyond me. (Don't think it's ever been on TV here).

    You've caught the fine church with the sun coming through, when it's probably looking its best - otherwise, without good illumination I can imagine it being a rather austere and forbidding place. Those wooden figures, though, are carved exquisitely.

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  2. I like the framing on the altar shot!
    As for the carvings, I agree with Raybeard....theexpresssshunsare wonderful...
    the two characters on the right look to be disapproving of "single mothers"...

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  3. Are there Christmas cactus flowers on that wall?

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  4. Wonderful!
    So, are all pews called stalles, or just ornately-carved ones?

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  5. The detail in the carving is really incredible. There are even the little birds in Anna's basket:
    “Every firstborn male is to be consecrated to the Lord and to offer a sacrifice: a pair of doves or two young pigeons". Luke 2:23-24.

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    1. Yeah, it's always puzzled me that in order to 'prove' reverence and respect it's expected that the parents should actually kill a blameless creature (or two) to demonstrate it. What a strange god! If I were Joseph I would have offered up Jesus himself. That would have been far more just, as well as putting a neat little spanner in the works!

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  6. Comme tout le monde, j'aime bien les sculptures!

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  7. this is splendid. it is the sort of setting I would want to be in to covers with Heaven.

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  8. raybeard, I was lucky with the light. The morning was overcast and rainy, but there were some fine "éclaircies" in the afternoon.

    tim, this is just one example, there were many more.

    gosia, thank you.

    chm, which wall?

    judy, I think it's just the ornate (or not) ones where the clergy sit.

    dean, Jesus Christ!

    christine, eh bien, ça me plait.

    michael, confer, converse, or otherwise hob-nob? ;)

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