The first “before” and “after” runs off the rails. While the after is better, it is way too much! Did I write, it is way too much! And on top of that, the baldachin contains a true altar with the tabernacle under it and then in front of that another altar. Two altars back to back when the before only had one! Why, oh why!?
It is inconceivable to me that bishops in some dioceses have no policies about having only one main altar when building new churches or having major renovations of older churches.
Thus, I dislike this first “before and after” although the after is better than the before, to say the least, but overdone and of course those back to back altars which are not in the “before”.
AFTER (UGH):
The “before” isn’t that bad, but the after is much better. The altar railing is placed in the proper position, on the nave level, thus not becoming a visual barrier to the altar or obscuring it. They maintain only one main altar with a splendid, I mean, splendid reredos for the tabernacle and six candlesticks. This part is beautifully done! My only critique is the ceiling. It is overdone and should have been more muted. I find it distracting to the rest of the renovation, but alas!
BEFORE (NOT BAD):
5 comments:
What is this fascination with dark blue ceilings and stars?
An excellent question—I was wondering the same thing.
The blue/stars works nicely with very high ceilings (e.g. the Scrovegni Chapel in Padua) but not with these low ceilings: they need a light colour to create the feeling of more space.
I think that they are trying to copy medieval practice. We get the wrong impression when we walk into gothic cathedrals today. Rather than the bare stone that we see today, they were heavily painted. I remember a visit to Notre Dame in Paris some 40 years ago. All of the painting was now gone except in the vaulted passageway to the sacristy. It was very faded but if you looked you could see that it was painted blue with gold stars. I imagine that at least the sanctuary was painted thus. You can also see this in the cathedral in Assisi.
Anthony - There's the rub. These are not medieval or Gothic buildings, so dressing them up with the trappings is medieval or Gothic buildings makes little sense. We can't recreate the Catholic ethos of medieval/Gothic times by painting ceilings and installing side "altars" and altar rails. The medieval/Gothic style is not more appropriate for a Catholic Church than styles of other eras and areas.
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