The Chapelle des Lazaristes and Reliquary Shrine of St. Vincent de Paul, 1850 to 1860: An Exposé of Competing Aesthetic Schemes & Their Resolutions in the Alliance des Arts

Simone Zurawski describes the history, art, and architecture of the motherhouse church of the Congregation of the Mission, the Chapelle des Lazaristes in Paris. She also compares it to the Congregation’s church at the original site of their motherhouse and explains what the Congregation’s leadership was trying to accomplish with the design of the new chapelle. The chapelle is the site of Vincent de Paul’s reliquary shrine, and Zurawski describes the châsse or case that houses Vincent’s remains, which was designed by the legendary silversmith Jean-Baptiste-Claude Odiot. She explains how it was incorporated into the altar’s design. Through her research, Zurawski is able to identify Paul-Marie Gallois as the chapelle’s architect. She also profiles Arthur Martin, who designed the high altar in neomedieval style, and François Carbonnier, who painted the archway that “ unifies the [chapelle’s] space.” Finally, Zurawski recounts how the Congregation’s superior general, Jean-Baptiste Etienne, had to balance the forces of Gallicanism and Ultramontanism and how the chapelle’s blend of French and Italian art signifies that balance. She also reflects on the chapelle’s possible influence on the design of Saint Vincent de Paul Church on DePaul University’s campus