Now, I’ve always thought that a baby boy – Son of God or no – might appreciate the gold for its shininess, but perfume and embalming fluid were probably of zero interest to him. However, this artist chose to show him grabbing at his Mom’s robes, just as an actual baby would.Įveryone knows the story of the Three Kings – Melchior, Balthazar and Gaspar – guided by a star, arrived in the manger to present gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh to the Newborn King. I like it nonetheless because of the way Jesus is depicted: normally painters and sculptors of the era have the infant appear very solemn, often holding his hand up to bless onlookers. The statues are late gothic – you can tell because the faces are not particularly lifelike and the folds of the clothes appear rigid, rather than flowing. It depicts the Three Kings/Wise Men/Magi of the Nativity story (along with one of their servants) presenting their gifts to the Baby Jesus, held by his mother. It is the statues on the left that always grab my attention. On the right side are statues of various saints. The entrance has a fairly impressive curved gothic portico, sheltering a statue depicting the martyrdom of St Lawrence* over the actual door. The St Lawrence entrance in at the left-most (north) tip of the short arm – the façade with the main entrances are at the bottom, western end. Notre Dame de Strasbourg (NDS) is, like almost all Cathedrals, shaped like a cross (†). I’m going to start with the outside, with the St Lawrence Door, so named for its proximity to the St Lawrence Chapel inside the building. The Cathedral is so enormous, and I have so many things to say about it, that I am having a little difficulty in determining exactly how best to begin describing the highlights.
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