Viollet-le-Duc and the restoration of Notre Dame de Paris in the Nineteenth Century

1. Saving Notre Dame de Paris:
Eugène-Emmanuel Viollet-Le-Duc and the restoration of a Gothic masterwork

2. "Thus, to sum up the points just mentioned, Gothic architecture is today disfigured by three kinds of ravage.
Wrinkles and warts on its skin are the work of time; marks of violence, brutality, contusions, fractures, the
work of revolutions from Luther to Mirabeau. Mutilations, amputations, dislocation of its limbs,
‘restorations’, are the Greek, Roman, and barbaric work of [fashion:] professors quoting Vitruviius and
Vignolo”
* One of Hugo’s most fporeceful arguments: Gothic style is French style”
In his Notre Dame de Paris, Hugo has the archdeacon proclaim that “This [the book] will kill that
[architecture — especially sacred architecture]”
Bur since Hugo’s novel inspired Viollet-le-Duc and others to preserve Notre Dame, it might be counter-
asserted that “This [Hugo’s Notre Dame de Paris] will save that [the delapidated Notre Dame cathedral
itself].”
Victor Hugo on the Damaged State of Notre Dame de Paris in 1831

3. Daugerrotype of Notre Dame in 1840

4. The Depredations of Fashion:
Louis XIV redecorates the interior of Notre Dame for an official function

5. The Depredations of Revolution:
Revolutionaries smash and loot the interior of Notre Dame in 1793

6. Gallery of Kings sculpture decapitated by revolutionaries

7. Daguerrotype and lithograph of Notre Dame in1840
The sculptures in the Gallery of Kings over the three portals are still missing after their removal in
1793-1794
On the central portal, the jamb sculpture had been removed, a new door with carved figures replaced
the original, and a secondary arch intruded into the Last Judgment scene beneath Christ’s throne

8. Eugène-Emmanuel Viollet-Le-Duc, Jean-Baptiste Lassus: Drawing of the west facade, 1843
The proposal won the approval of the restoration committee
Viollet-le-Duc and Lassus set out to restore, not the stones but the spirit of Notre Dame
Eugène-Emmanuel Viollet-Le-Duc Jean-Baptiste Lassus

9. Photograph of Notre Dame with restoration scaffolding, 1847

10. Gallery of Kings sculptures restored
by the studio of Adolphe-Victor Geoffroy-Dechaume, under the direction of Viollet-le-Duc

11. Many of the replacement and new sculptures were based on the designs of Viiollet-le-Duc

12. Viollet-le-Duc’s Rooftop Gargoyles

13. Eugène-Emmanuel Viollet-Le-Duc, Jean-Baptiste Lassus
Hypothetical Steeples atop the Towers
Viollet-le-Duc abandoned the plan for the steelples, which he decided
were overdramatic and incompatible with the cathedral’s original

14. In the nineteenth century, the French government paid for all the restoration expenses, which
were considerably higher than the original estimates.
But today (2019), some French officials to to convince Americans to help cover the costs for
restoration:
“We know Americans are wealthy, so we go where we think we can find money to help
restore the cathedral," Picaud said. "Notre-Dame of Paris isn't a Paris monument or French
monument or a European monument but it's really a worldwide monument."
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/paris-crumbling-notre-dame-cathedral-hopes-wealthy-
americans-will-help-save-it/
Crumbling sections of Notre Dame today (2019)