Restored Flandrin frescoes reveal 80 female saints in Paris church
A major restoration of Hippolyte Flandrin's monumental fresco at Saint-Vincent-de-Paul church in Paris has brought back the original brilliance of nearly 80 female saints painted between 1848 and 1853. The 200-meter-long procession, executed in encaustic wax painting, had darkened and lost detail over 170 years due to dust and pollution. The restoration, led by the City of Paris and the church, cleaned and conserved the figures, revealing vivid colors, delicate faces, and intricate drapery. Flandrin, a student of Ingres, gave women prominent placement on the left side of the nave, a rare choice in 19th-century French religious art. The fresco is now open to the public for free at Place Franz-Liszt, Paris 10e.
Key facts
- Hippolyte Flandrin painted the fresco between 1848 and 1853
- The fresco spans nearly 200 meters around the nave
- It features about 80 female saints including virgins, martyrs, queens, penitents, and founders of religious orders
- Flandrin used encaustic wax painting, a rare technique inherited from antiquity
- The restoration was carried out by the City of Paris and Saint-Vincent-de-Paul church
- The church is located at Place Franz-Liszt in the 10th arrondissement of Paris
- Flandrin was a student of Ingres and a major figure in 19th-century French religious painting
- The fresco had lost readability due to dust, pollution, and aging over 170 years
Entities
Artists
- Hippolyte Flandrin
- Ingres
Institutions
- Église Saint-Vincent-de-Paul
- Ville de Paris
Locations
- Paris
- France
- Place Franz-Liszt
- 10e arrondissement