French Church

Author: (French) Auguste Rodin
Publisher:
Publication Date: 2001-07-01
Features: This book is not an academic work, nor is it a treatise on archaeology or architecture. Rather, it is a collection of notes made by the great French sculptor Auguste Rodin (1840-1917) during his inspection of the Church of France. Although not structured into chapters, it appears somewhat disorganized and even repetitive at times, yet the overarching theme throughout the book remains clear and consistent: it is a celebration of the artist's deep love for the Church of France. The book encapsulates the artist's years of observations, experiences, and reflections, revealing the mystery and charm of the Church of France to readers. If there is any repetition in this book, it lies in Rodin's severe condemnation of destruction and restoration. This may have been done intentionally by the artist to express his anger and awaken people's conscience. He believed that some churches had been ruined, even reduced to ruins, but as long as the ancient stones remained, they still held "preserved beauty," far surpassing replicas made with modern high-end building materials. To help readers better grasp the spirit of the book, we have made some annotations. Those not marked as "original notes" are additions by the translator.