Rouen, It's History and Monuments - A Guide to Strangers by Théodore Licquet
page 24 of 114 (21%)
page 24 of 114 (21%)
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coffins carried off. On the lower part of the monument, are six
beautiful little statues, in niches separated by pilasters, representing faith, charity, prudence, power, justice and temperance. All these statues are of white marble. On the tomb, which is of black marble, the two cardinals George d'Amboise uncle and nephew are placed. They are kneeling on cushions; their heads uncovered and their hands joined. The expression of prayer and piety is perfect in the two figures, especially in that of George d'Amboise Ist. At their feet and on the front of the cenotaph, we find the following inscription, in a single line, which only concerns the cardinal-minister: _Pastor eram cleri, populi pater, avrea sese Lilia subdebant quercus[8] et ipsa michi. Mortoos en iaceo, morte extingovinior honores; At virtus, morte nescia, morte viret._ On the ground of the monument is a bas-relief representing the patron of the two prelates (saint George) overcoming the dragon; On the sides, are eight different figures, amongst which we discover the virgin, several saints and more particularly Saint-Romain, archbishop of Rouen during the first half of the VIIth century. A _voussure_ ornamented with sculptures, as remarkable for their good taste as for the richness of their ornaments, supports an attic, where we find the statues of the twelve apostles, two and two, in elegant niches separated by pilasters. These two monuments are not only remarkable by their magnificence and by the recollections they awaken, they have another attraction, as an history of the art at the time when the gothic style was giving place to that of the renaissance. |
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