In the past we have featured some of the beautiful and historical churches of province of Québec in Canada, and today we are pleased to formalize this into our "Churches of Québec" series, which we hope to publish from time to time in order to share the wealth of Catholic liturgical arts riches that can be found there.
Today we are begnning with the Church of the Holy Name of Mary (Église du Saint-Nom-de-Marie), located in St.Marie-de-Beauce, Quebec. The church is registered as a National Historic Site of Canada and was built between 1856 and 1859 by architect Charles Baillairgé.
The following information on the church is provided about this church:
The Church of Sainte-Marie ... is distinguished by its impressive interior decoration: designed by architect Charles Baillairgé, the interior is a unique interpretation of the Gothic Revival style that melds harmoniously with the fine trompe-l'oeil and grisaille paintings by artist François-Édouard Meloche. The heritage value of the Church of Sainte-Marie lies in the fact that it is a fine example of a romantic Gothic Revival church, a concept expressed in its relatively simple exterior arrangement as well as its gothic components, which are simply applied to the surface of the building rather than being incorporated into the architecture. In contrast to the sober exterior of the church, the interior has an impressive décor, created by Charles Baillairgé and François-Édouard Meloche. Inspired by the style of 14th-century English Gothic churches, the church opens to a grand, blue-and-gold interior, with boldly sculpted quatrefoils, rib arches and clustered columns. The modern-day interior is almost identical to that which Baillairgé created in his time, except for the painted décor that replaced the original white and gold. This décor, created by François-Édouard Meloche of Montréal, is the most striking aspect when one enters the church. Meloche excelled in trompe-l’oeil painting: he created the illusion of three-dimensional ornamentation on a two-dimensional surface. Meloche also painted the beautiful little grisaille paintings of the patriarchs of the Old Testament that hang over the gallery windows, as well as the four colour paintings in the choir depicting the life of the Virgin Mary.
Let's take a look at this beautiful, historic, French Canadian church. (Readers might note the presence of an upper, mezzanine level -- a feature common in many French Canadian churches.)
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| Photo credit: Pat Dufour |
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| Photo credit: Pat Dufour |
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| The pulpit |
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| An 18th century carving of the Madonna and Child |
Finally, while the church remains substantially intact, here are a couple of historical views of the church from prior to the 1970's.
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| The church in 1950 |
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| A good view of the sanctuary from the choir loft, prior to the installation of a freestanding altar. One will note here the distinctive sanctuary carpeting. |
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