The work of the atelier "Le grand atelier ducal du Folgoët"—one of the two main workshops, with the other being the "atelier cornouaillais du Maître de Tronoën", that emerged during the veritable "golden age" of carving in stone in 15th-century Brittany, considered a marked renaissance, after little activity in the 13th and 14th centuries—can be broken down into two sections, the so-called "first atelier" (active 1423–1468) and "second atelier" (active 1458–1509).
The article will deal with each of these two workshops. For ease of reference, the first atelier's work has been divided into sections: work on porches in either granite or kersanton stone, calvaries, flagstones/effigies for tombs (gisant), statues, and some miscellaneous items. The second atelier section deals with the porch of the Église Saint-Herbot in Plonévez-du-Faou and the Église at Plourac'h.
The Église Notre-Dame at Le Folgoët
What started as the "Chapelle du Folgoët" originated in the reign of John IV, the foundations being laid from 1350 to 1360 but it was during the reign of John V, Duke of Brittany that real progress was made between 1420 and 1422 and in 1423, the Duke founded the chapel college. This is marked by an inscription over the west porch reading "JOHAANES ILLVSTRISSIMVS DVX B(R)ITONVM FVNDAVIT PRAESZE(N)S C(OL)LEGIVM ANNO D(OMI)NI.CCCC.XX.111". Work here was the atelier's first major commission and the carvings are amongst the atelier's best known works.
The nave entrance/portal This entrance leads to the nave. It has double doors and in a niche in the trumeau is a statue of Alain, the Bishop of Léon. The entrance suffered damage in the 1708 fire but has been restored.
The south entrance/portal
This entrance features three of the bishops mentioned below and a tympanum with a depiction of the Virgin Mary with child.
The "porche des Apôtres" and the gable of the sacristy At the entrance to this porch, the "porche des Apôtres", so called because it holds statues of the apostles, there is a small statue on the right side bearing a scroll which reads "B(IE)N SOIEZ VE(N)US" and on the left a statue depicting an old man stroking his beard. In a niche in the porch's left side buttress there is a statue of Margaret the Virgin slaying a dragon and in niches in the buttress on the right side are statues of Saint Christopher carrying the baby Jesus on his shoulders, of the Virgin Mary with child and Jean V. In the two doored entrance to the basilica itself at the far end of the porch there is a statue of Saint Peter in the trumeau, the saint seeming to preside over the other apostles whose statues adorn each side of the porch interior.
The west porch The west porch suffered badly from the fire of 1708 and the carving in the tympanum was damaged. This carving featured scenes depicting the Nativity, the Adoration of the Magi and the Adoration of the Shepherds. There is a sculpture depicting Saint Michael fighting the dragon to the left of the west porch entrance.
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The south façade On the church's south façade are depictions of four saints in the attire of a bishop. The first is on the right side of the second window, The second is in the niche to the left of the south entrance, the third in the trumeau of the south entrance and the fourth in a niche in the right side buttress of the south entrance.
The north entrance/portal This entrance has little decoration.
The interior Inside the church are statues by the atelier of John the Evangelist, John the Baptist, Margaret the Virgin and Catherine of Alexandria, and the "Autel des Anges" (the altar of the angels) decorated with carvings of angels.
The fountain The fountain has its source beneath the main altar inside the basilica and it emerges by the chevet. The fountain comprises a statue of the Virgin Mary within an elaborate arcade. This arcade was restored in 1999. The statue of Mary is a copy, the original now being kept inside the basilica. It is much eroded after so many years exposure to the elements.
Images of the atelier's work in the Église Notre-Dame at Le Folgoët
Decoration of porches and portals-mainly using granite Decoration of the church porch and portal was one of the main areas of activity for the Folgoēt atelier, which will be referred to in the rest of this article as the "atelier", and there are at least nine porches attributed to them. They specialized mainly in adding carvings of angels, saints and prophets to the niches of the voussures of porch arches, working in either granite or Kersantite, Those six porches built predominately using granite can be seen at Quimper cathedral, at Saint-Pol-de-Léon in the Kreisker chapel, in what is left of the ancient chapel of Notre-Dame des Portes at Châteauneuf-du-Faou, at Kernascléden, Saint-Fiacre du Faouët and Quimperlė
Quimper's Cathédrale Saint-Corentin Type of sculpture LocationDescription|NotesCathedral decorationQuimperConstruction of the west façade of Quimper Cathedral commenced in 1424. The atelier worked on the west porch, carving decorations for both piédroits and voussures (voussoir) as well as various coats of arms. The west porch seen today is not as it was originally, having been badly damaged in the upheavals of 1793. The entrance has two doors and between them on the trumeau is a statue depicting the resurrected Christ giving a blessing and holding a globe but this dates to 1866 and replaced the atelier's granite equestrian statue of John V, Duke of Brittany (the remains of this can be seen in Quimper's Musėe dėpartemental Breton). There are seven rows of voussures in all and the three principal voussures (wedge shaped bricks or blocks at the top of the arch) are decorated with angels in niches and the other voussures are decorated with carvings of curly leaved kale. Decoration above these voussures includes an angel holding the coat of arms of Bertrand de Rosmadec. The niches of the piédroits (the lower bricks or blocks of the arch) are empty. Above the arch is a carving of the Lion of Montfort and the blazons of John V and other subsequent rulers of Brittany, Francis 1 (Duke of Brittany from 1442 to 1450) and Peter 11 (Duke of Brittany from 1450 to 1457). There is also a Lozenge (heraldry) of Joan of France, Duchess of Brittany. In the gable are the coats of arms of the Barons of Nėvet and the Lords of Bodigneau and Clohars-Fouesnant. Other blazons and escutcheons represent the Lords ("seigneurs") of Quėlenec and Faou. The atelier also worked on the south porch known as the Sainte-Catherine or Notre-Dame porch. Decoration includes angels in the voussures and a tympanum above the arch of the porch entrance with a statue depicting the Virgin Mary with child and a statue of Catherine of Alexandria located in a niche in the porch's left buttress. The arch's voussures contain eight angels in all who carry phylacteries or play musical instruments. The child held by the Virgin Mary holds a bird in his hands and she presses a book against her breast.
The atelier also added escutcheons ("écusson") of the Nėvets and Guengats to the north porch known as the "Porche des baptémes" because it was the nearest entrance to the baptismal font and decoration to the porch's arch but the porch has no sculptures although on the interior side of the entrance door to the church there is a tympanum with a relief carving depicting the baptism of Christ. Most of the work by the atelier in Quimper was in granite.
The north porch of the Kreisker chapel Type of sculpture LocationDescription|NotesCarvings in the chapel porchThe north porch of the Kreisker chapel in Saint-Pol-de-LeonThe north porch's decoration is thought to be by the atelier and the arch's voussures contain carvings depicting saints in canopied niches. All hold a phylactery. Construction of this porch is calculated to have occurred between 1436 and 1472. It is carved from granite.
Notre-Dame des Portes Type of sculpture LocationDescription|NotesCarving in the chapel porchThe chapel of Notre-Dame des Portes at Châteauneuf-du-Faou.For the chapel porch the atelier carved fourteen winged angels for the voussures in the porch arcade.
Kernascléden. The Chapelle Notre-Dame Type of sculpture LocationDescription|NotesCarving in porchesKernasclédenFor the "Porche des Hommes", the atelier were responsible for all the decoration and did so in granite. Inside the porch they added a statue of Sainte Catherine of Alexandria and a statue of Anthony the Great. The granite statue of Saint Anthony is depicted with a pig at his feet. There is also a statue of Saint Sebastian. For the "Porche des Femmes" they carried out all the decoration again using granite but the statues are not attributed to the atelier.
Saint-Fiacre chapel in Le Faouët, Morbihan Type of sculpture LocationDescription|NotesCarvings in south porch and the interior of the Saint-Fiacre chapelLe Faouët, MorbihanThe atelier carried out all the work on the south porch and added sculptures to the chapel interior including an altarpiece dedicated to Saint Sebastian, a person in a suit of armour, Saint Catherine of Alexandria and Mary Magdalene. The latter three statues have lost their heads.
Quimperlé. The Église Notre-Dame Type of sculpture LocationDescription|NotesCarvings in the north porchQuimperléThe porch of the Quimperlė Notre-Dame church has a buttress with a granite niched statue of John V, Duke of Brittany attributed to the atelier. He wears armour and holds sword and shield.
Porches using mainly Kersantite Type of sculpture LocationDescription|NotesPorch decorationLe FaouRumengol forms part of the commune of Le Faou and in the Église Notre-Dame, the carving on the south porch is attributed to the atelier. This includes the Adoration of the Magi depicted in the tympanum above the porch entrance, and the twelve apostles' statues in the porch interior.Porch decorationLa MartyreThe Église Saint-Salomon's south porch was built between 1450 and 1468 using kersanton stone. The atelier decorated the tympanum above the entrance to the south porch with a depiction of the Nativity, added a scene depicting the crowning of the Virgin Mary to the top of the gable finial, and decorated both the external and internal piėdroits and voussures. Decoration of the interior piėdroits and voussures included scenes depicting the Annunciation, the Visitation (Christianity) and marriage of the Virgin Mary, the Presentation of Jesus at the Temple, Jesus with the lawyers, Herod and the Massacre of the Innocents, King Salomon and a group of soldiers and Jean V and his royal guard. The interior piėdroits and voussures carry depictions including the Adoration of the Magi and the Adoration of the Shepherds. Further carvings to the exterior piėdroits and voussures include Saint Sebastian with arrow, Saint Lawrence with gridiron, Saint Fiacre and Saint Anthony. The church facade around the porch is also decorated with various angels and coats of arms. Inside the porch, the atelier added statues of the twelve apostles, a depiction of the Virgin Mary in the trumeau (architecture) between the two entrance doors to the church and above these doors the coat of arms of the Rohans and the lion of the vicomtes of Lėon. See also La Martyre Parish close.
Tombs/Gisant