L’église Saint-Michel de Lille : chronologie d’un chantier

Abstract

After the demolition of the fortifications at Lille, in 1858, a new quarter developed to the south of the city. One of the important features of this new neighbourhood was the Saint-Michel church, built between 1868 and 1874 to the designs of the architect Alfred Coisel. The building of this church is exceptionally well documented and reveals church furnishings and decoration of an exemplary nature in terms of homogeneity and the special place given over to mural paintings. This study underlines the role of the painter Alphonse Colas, but also the contribution of other, less well known artists such as Albéric Duyver and Marie Carin. The iconographical theme is one of the most important cycles of its time devoted to the archangel Saint Michel, and is highly characteristic of the period.

Keywords

• Saint-Michel church
• Lille
• religious heritage
• monumental painting
• Alfred Coisel
• Alphonse Colas