|
The Chapelle St. Pierre was the first in a row of Chapels and Churches
Jean Cocteau adorned with his characteristical man size murals. He
created stained glas windows for the Church of St. Maximin in Metz,
murals for the church of Notre Dame de France in London and the Chapelle
Saint-Blaise in Milly-la-Forêt, his last resting place.
Left: the Chapel at Milly-la-Fôret
that Cocteau decorated and in which he is buried
Right: the stained glass window he
made for the church in Metz
Little is it known, that when Cocteau
died he was working on a Chapel project he designed from scratch
including the remarkable octagonal floorplan: the Chapel of Notre Dame
de Jérusalem in La Tour de Mare.
La Tour de Mare (the tower at the
sea) is a tiny village near
Fréjus at the French Côte d'Azur. It is some 60 km's from
Villefranche-sur-Mer, where Cocteau painted his first Chapel as
described in Part I of this article. The area in which it was built was
bought in the early sixties by a very rich and influential banker and
freemason from
Nice called Jean Martinon. He intended the grounds as an artists colony,
an ideal city. He called Jean Cocteau for help who set out to draw up
the plans and designs for a Chapel, assisted by architect Jean
Triquenot. Cocteau died in 1963, leaving the project unfinished but with
all sketches and plans ready. The project was finished by his close
friend and artistic heir Edouard Dermit who finished the last parts of
the murals and Roger Pelissier who did the ceramics for the floor
mosaic. The difference in style between Cocteau and Dermit is quite
apparent in the various tableaus inside.
Notre Dame de Jérusalem, La Tour de
Mare
The Chapel looks to be the ultimate
creation of the multi talented artist that Jean Cocteau was. It
seemlessly unites nature with esoteric symbolism and religion. The
floorplan is octagonal, laid out in two concentric rings, creating an
octagonal ambulatory outside and an equally shaped
inner chamber. Three archways in the outside stone wall, lead to three
heavy iron stained glass double doors, in the three front walls of the inner octagon.
Floorplan of Notre Dame de Jérusalem,
the black ellipse represents the altar
In religious symbolism, the octagon or
the figure 8 represent resurrection, rebirth and eternal life. Jesus' resurrection
took place eight days after his arrival in Jerusalem. Today this
symbolism can still be seen in many baptismal fonts in churches all over
the world. It is also the shape of the Dome of the Rock, housing the sacred stone that allegedly once
supported the Ark of the Covenant.
The building is literally crowned with
an iron construction in the shape of a crown. The Chapel is a veritable
treasure trove of religious and esoteric imagery. Outside there are magnificently
bright and colorful mosaics. Pièce de resistance however,
without any doubt is the 360 degree panoramic mural on the eight walls
and ceiling of the Chapel's inside. It's literally all around you and
quite overwhelming when you first see it. It's adorned by a beautiful floor
mosaic. You can get a perfect impression of the Chapel by using the
panorama viewer below. It requires the free Quicktime application to be installed on your computer.
360 degree panorama of the murals
inside the Chapel of ND de Jérusalem.
(Click on the picture to activate and
drag your mouse in all directions to look around, up and down.)
Panoramic photo copyright Antonio Moya
Cocteau devised a very clear theme for his Chapel of Our
Lady of Jerusalem. The Jerusalem Cross or Cross with Cross Potent is
omnipresent, in fact it appears to have been the basis for the octagonal
floorplan. The Jerusalem Cross was a variant of the Crusaders' Cross
(symbol of the Crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem). It was the logo of the
Order of the Knights and Dames of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem.
The
four smaller crosses are said to symbolize either the four books of the
Gospel or the four directions in which the Word of Christ spread from
Jerusalem. Most frequentlu however the five crosses symbolize the five
wounds of Christ during the Passion. It is here that the Arma
Christi come to mind again. The association with Christ's wounds
seems very relevant here given the content of the murals that mostly depict scenes from
the Passion of Christ.
From left to right: Crusaders'Cross, Jerusalem
Cross, transformation to the Octagon
Jerusalem Cross on keystone over the
entrance to the chapels
at the summit of Golgotha (Jerusalem)
Some of the appearances of the
Jerusalem Cross in Cocteau's Chapel from left to right:
giant floor mosaic, altar relief, iron
cross on the roof, window frame, cornerstone
The Jerusalem Cross is not the only thing that refers to
the Crusades and the Crusader Kingdom. Cocteau appears to have adopted the motto of the First
Crusade for his Chapel. At the Council of Clermont in November 1095,
pope Urban II held what must have been one of the most powerful speeches
in history. A French Nobleman himself, he summoned the French nobility to free the Holy Land and
the Holy city from the hands of the Persians. His words that survive
today leave little to the imagination:
"You, who sell for vile pay the strenght of your arms to the fury of others, armed with the sword of the Machabees, go and merit an eternal award. If you triumph over your enemies, the kingdons of the East will be your reward. If you are conquered, you will have the glory of dying in the very same place as Jesus Christ, and God will never forget what he found you in the Holy Batallions.
This is now the time to prove that you are animated by true courage, the time to expiate violence committed in the bosom of peace, the many victories purchased at the expense of justice and humanity. If you must have blood, bathe in the blood of the infidels. I speak to you with harshness because my ministry obliges me to do so. Soldiers of Hell, become soldiers of the living God!
His speech was answered by a loud roar from the crowds.
The northerns shouted 'Dieu li volt!'; the southerns in their own
tongue: 'Dieu le veult!'.
It is this last motto that is
embedded in the floor and the altar of the Chapel, the most holy spot.
It is so prominent you can hardly escape from the feeling that the
artist must have had a very specific meaning here.
Pope Urban II adressing the masses at
the Council of Clermont (November 1095)
'Dieu le Veult', motto of the First
Crusade in the Floor Mosaic and on the Altar
The eight walls of the octagon are decorated with as many
tableaus:
In the last supper we see Jesus, surrounded by his twelve disciples.
It's hard to tell who is who. The grouping doesn't match Da Vinci's last
supper in Milan so we can't identify the apostle from there. Christ is
in the middle. A female figure is leaning against his shoulder on the
right, probably John or perhaps Mary Magdalene. Judging by the face, the
size and the dress, the figure is androgynous to say the least. We know
John has been depicted with some femininity through the ages. On the
other hand, the gospels state clearly that Mary Magdalene was present at
the Last Supper, so why couldn't she have been at the table? Remember
that in the early 60's it wasn't fashionable yet to stage Mary Magdalene
besides Jesus as his wife or mother of his children; Jean Cocteau
couldn't have been influenced by Holy Blood, Holy Grail or The
Da Vinci Code. If the figure is indeed John or Mary Magdalene, there
is an inversion going on, since he (or she) is usually depicted on
Christ's left. For the remainder of the article I will call this figure
Mary Magdalene. Although I can't be 100% sure I think the figure is more
feminin than masculin.
In front of Christ there's a glass of what appears to be red wine often
symbolising blood. Perhaps Cocteau is confirming the fact that the Grail
and the Holy Blood are in fact one. This too in an age where the
translation of San Graal into Sang Real hadn't been invented yet.
The last supper
The apostle on the far left makes an inversed 'J' symbol. In fact the
'J' symbol is everywhere in the murals. It is also in the large mural of St. Peter walking on the water in the Chapel of St. Peter in
Villefrance-sur-Mer (see Part
I). The gesture is often called 'the gesture of John', after
Leonardo Da Vinci's famous painting of John the Baptist (not to be
confused with John the Apostle), noticeably it was also Da Vinci's last painting.
Hands displaying the 'J' and the
inversed 'J' symbol like John in Da Vinci's painting
Cocteau shamelessly inserted himself into the scene of
the Last Supper. It was not the first time he put a self portrait in a
religious mural (Notre Dame de France, London), but this time he painted
not only himself but also his muse: the French actor Jean Marais. It was
whispered that the homosexual Cocteau and Marais shared more than the
films they made together. Certainly Cocteau became a father figure for
Marais. After Cocteau's death, Marais would describe his first meeting
with Cocteau as his 'rebirth'. In that sense it's very
appropriate to find him in the Octagon, which represenst that very
theme.
What is remarkable is that both in Notre Dame de France
and Notre Dame de Jérusalem, Cocteau is looking away from Christ. From
the dead as well as the living. Why would Cocteau, who was known as a
religious man, do such a thing? Moreover, his friend Jean Marais appears
to be mocking Christ with his gesture.
From left to right: Cocteau self
portrait ND de France (London, UK), Coctau sel-portrait as part of the
last supper (ND de Jérusalem), portrait of Jean Marais as part of the
same last supper, Jean Marais
Jean Cocteau and his muse, the French
actor Jean Marais in 1944
On the far left there appears to be a second portrait of
Marais, but a younger version with longer hair this time. Given the
profile of the face of the man on his right, it might very well
represent Cocteau in a second but younger and more stylised self
portrait. Here Jean Marais seems to have little interest in Jesus but
Cocteau is staring at him in admiration. Metaforically we are looking at
the young Cocteau admiring Christ, but looking away from him when he is
older. Something appears to have happened that made him turn away from
Christ.
The last supper with the 'younger'
Marais & Cocteau left and the 'older' Marais and Cocteau right
notice that the old Cocteau looks away
from the Christ he looked up to when he was young
When you look at the scene for a while, you notice
something weird. Apart from young Cocteau, nobody actually looks at
Christ. Christ's right eye is a little lower than his left, implying that he is looking at the figure
leaning against his shoulder: Mary Magdalene. Closer inspection of the
angles of the other figures' eyes reveal that not only the older
Cocteau, but also some of the other apostles are not looking at their
Lord Jesus but at Mary Magdalene. When you count them, there appear to
be five apostles looking at Mary Magdalene. Jesus is showing us his full
hand as if he want to say: 'Five'. From the previous article we know
that Five was an important number for Jean Cocteau.
The fact that five apostles are not looking at Christ but
at Mary Magdalene is an intriguing bit of information. The plot thickens
when you combine it with the 'J' and inverted 'J' hand gestures that
some of the disciples are making here, including Mary Magdalene himself.
This is the scene from the Passion, where Jesus is mocked
by and given the Crown of Thorns. This part of the mural doesn't have
the specific distinguished style of painting of Jean Cocteau. It's
likely it was done by Edouard Dermit. Cocteau was very specific in his
sketches so the scene should be displayed as he intended.
We see two figures mocking Jesus. One is clearly a Roman
soldier, the other one probably a jew, judging by his dress. Christ's
hands are tied and his left hand makes a peculiar gesture, as if
imitating a walking mouse. On the right we see a woman praying with her
eyes closed and face turned away from Christ, perhaps Mary.
This too appears to be the work of Dermit. The
crucifixion is depicted from an unfamiliar angle, looking up from the
bottom of the cross. Two mirrored angels make the 'J' and inversed 'J'
gesture, while holding the cross bearing Orb or Globus Cruciger. It normally symbolises Christ's dominion over the world. In this
context, with the angels holding it, making the gesture at the feet of
the dead Christ it could have a different meaning alltogether.
Over the door leading to the small Sacristie, a mural is
painted of a crowned woman, whose crown is overgrown with rose stalks.
She is looking sadly into the direction of the Blason over the front
entrance. Two giant roses adorn her on both sides. From the Middle Ages,
the rose was seen as the queen of flowers, symbolysing the Virgin Mary.
What is odd here is that normally she is represented by a thornless rose
to indicate she is without sin. Not so here, her crown is oovergrown
with thorny stems. What was her sin?
Perhaps her sins had to do with what's depicted below her
on the door leading to the Sacristie. A very vague sketch appears to
display an image of the infant Jesus. Combined the pictures suggest Mary
in relation to perhaps a sinful (natural?) conception of baby Jesus.
Digitally enhanced image of a faded
sketch on the door
leading to the Sacristie, appearing to
display the infant Jesus
Straight opposite the Last Supper, on the other side of
the room there's a mural of the Resurrection, this time clearly from the
hand of the master himself. An Angel lifts the veil and uncovers a
figure much to the suprise of the two Roman soldiers. It's a strange
scene indeed. Again, there's the inversed 'J' symbol. The most prominent
mystery here is the identity of the figure behind the veil. It seems a
woman rather than a man from the shape of the body. Closer inspection
reveals that the figure has no beard. It's not Jesus that is resurrected
here. Actually the figure looks a lot more like the person from the Last
Supper identified as Mary Magdalene or maybe John. Perhaps there's a
clue in the outstretched hand of the left soldier displaying the 'Five'
symbol again, the Last Supper taking place on a Thursday (the fifth day
of the week in Jewish custom where Sunday was the first day).
Comparing faces.
Left: Jesus at the Last Supper.
Center: the figure in Resurrection.
Right: Mary Magdalene or John at the
Last Supper.
Before an enormous buring sun, an angel blows the trumpet
to announce the Apocalypse. You can only wonder what he was meant to
announce here in the strange combination of symbolism and religion.
Adoration of Christ is the title given to this work in a
brochure in the Chapel. I am not so sure these eight men are adoring or
chanting to Christ. They look like Jewish, judging by the curls hanging
down from their heads. Looking at their faces you would think they are
reading a verdict of some sort. On the other hand, since they all have
their mouths open it's more like they're singing or scanting. They appear to be
religious figures, perhaps the Sanhedrin. On their dresses they wear the
Cross Potent. Their faces are serious and don't look at Christ. The
figure of Christ in the middle once again makes the 'J' gesture, at the
same time pointing at a beetle crawling away from him. The depiction of
Christ reminds of the Turin Shroud.
Eight Jewish men read or sing to Jesus
The beetle is an ancient Egyptian symbol. Inlcuding a
scarab in the tomb was believed to ensure the rebirth of the deceased in
the afterlife. This is quite significant. Wasn't Jesus supposed to be
reborn in this one?
The beetle or scarab, walking away
from Jesus
Over the front entrance of the Chapel, a giant colorful
Blason is painted in Cocteau's hand. Two mirrored winged figures are
painted around a shield with the Jerusalem Cross. At the bottom there's
a figure with an Egyptian looking headdress but he is wearing a necklace
with a Christian cross. The black color and the facial expression
indicate she is mourning. The whole thing is painted like some kind of blason
or coat of arms. In the picture there are some symmetrical black and red
dots. I tried to connect them but it hasn't led to a distinguishable
image so far. I am interested to hear if anyone can connect them up to
reveal something meaningful.
The mirrored figure looks very much like the person that
could well be identified as the 'young Cocteau' in the last supper.
Again it appears as if the artist has put himself into the scene. It
would be a logical step to suggest Cocteau was a member of the Knights of
the Holy Sepulchre. Perhaps not an ordinary member.
Second figure from the left on the last supper (young Cocteau?)
and the identical figure in the Blason
Below the Blason, on both sides of the entrance, a
figure, wearing a hat with the Jerusalem Cross, holds out his hands with
the thumbs touching in the old Jewish symbol for divinity.
Jean Cocteau firmly believed he would transcend time and
space after his death, just like the man he shared the intials with:
Jesus Christ. This re-birth would not take place in this life though.
It's hard to tell exactly what Jean Cocteau had in mind
when he designed the Chapel of Notre Dame de Jérusalem. When Jean
Martinon asked him to design a Chapel for his Ideal City, Cocteau must
have thought to create the Ideal Chapel. Sensitive as he was, he perhaps
even had a premonition of death lurking round the corner, pushing him to
make his last enigmatic work the most explicit of them all. A perfect symbiosis of shape
and image. Did Cocteau hide something or the exact opposite? In either
case, you can count on everything being there for a reason. You have to remember
Jean Cocteau was a
celebrated film director. He was known for meticulously detailing out
his themes and messages. A micro-director, obsessed with the
right word in the right line in the right poem. The right person in the
right clothes in the right spot on the stage. Cocteau didn't leave
anything
in his art to chance. He was very articulate. A symbolyst; certainly
not an impressionist.
So what is the symbology here and what could the master
have meant to say?
My guess is that the octagonal shape was meant to guard
knowledge in this place for eternity. In a great double meaning of the
same octagon it looks like that knowledge had everything to do with the
alleged resurrection of Christ. The outer and the inner octagon.
Cocteau tells us Mary had sins and gave birth to the
Infant Jesus through natural conception. He died on the cross and
changed his earthly kingdom for a heavenly one. The artist appears to be
telling Christ didnot return and won't return at the Apocalypse. While
the Crusader priests pray and chant, Christ sheds tears over them in
heaven where he was just reborn as symbolised by the Scarab.
At the Last Supper all eyes are on Mary Magdalene.
Remember Cocteau painted this in an age where everybody still believed
she was nothing but a foul footnote in the bible. Cocteau emphasises her
role even more in the resurrection, straight opposite the Last Supper.
Not Christ but Mary Magdalene exits the tomb with a serene expression on
her face. She knows he's in heaven and won't be back. It's clear now who
Our Lady of Jerusalem is: Mary Magdalene.
If this is what Cocteau meant to say, how does the Order
of the Knights of the Holy Sepulchre fit the picture? If the previous
interpretation is correct, guarding Christ's tomb would become a whole
lot more relevant than it would be when he had walked out of it after
his death. It would mean his mortal remains where laid to rest and
perhaps still are somewhere today. In that respect the 'J' and inverted
'J' symbols are quite clear in their meaning: he, Jesus, is up
there, not here.
Dieu le Veult, God wills it, however not as they thought
he wanted it in the 10th century. Jean Cocteau, appears to show us the
Crusaders went on a conquest for all the wrong reasons but found a Holy
Sepulchre, worthy to protect through all times.
Mairie et Office du Tourisme Fréjus
The Crusades, Robert Payne
Discussions on www.terugnaardebron.com internet forum
Original photos Corjan de Raaf
Panorama photo copyright Antonio Moya, many thanks!
Corjan de Raaf
www.rlcresearch.com
www.rennessence.com
www.terugnaardebron.com |
