Émile VERNON (1872-1920) - Lot 15

Émile VERNON (1872-1920) The Juggler of Notre-Dame Oil on canvas, signed and dated 1892 lower right 116 x 89 cm The scene depicted is that of the "Tombeur" or "Jongleur" of Notre-Dame. A very famous story in Marian literature of the Middle Ages, it is supposed to illustrate both Marian mercy and penitence towards the humble and the artistic, even when their faith does not correspond to the usual liturgical norms. This story has had several versions over the years. "Le Jongleur de Notre-Dame, Conte pour le mois de Mai" by Anatole France was published in 1890 in Le Gaulois, n°2811, and reprinted in his collection of short stories "L'Etui de Nacre" in 1892. The story tells of a wandering juggler who, tired of his life as an itinerant artist, decides to enter a monastery. However, he soon comes up against an obstacle: he can neither read the psalms nor recite the prayers like the other monks. Feeling useless and unable to praise God as they do, he chooses to express his devotion through the only means he knows: dance and acrobatics. Every day, in secret, he goes to the monastery chapel and performs figures before the Virgin's altar, convinced that she will understand his gesture and accept it as a prayer. One day, a monk surprises him and, scandalized, alerts the abbot, convinced that this is sacrilege. The abbot and several monks rush into the chapel, ready to condemn the man for his inappropriate behavior. But to their amazement, they witness a miracle: the Virgin descends from her altar to wipe away the juggler's sweat, proving that his offering has been accepted. Bibliography - Martine CLOUZOT, Un intermédiaire culturel au XIIIe siècle : le jongleur, Bulletin du center d'études médiévales d'Auxerre BUCEMA [Online], Hors-série n° 2 - 2008, Online since 24 January 2009 - Sylvie BARNAY, Heaven on earth. Les apparitions de la Vierge au Moyen Âge, Paris, Cerf, 1999