May (painting)

The Mays were a series of paintings in 17th and early 18th century Paris. They were commissioned by the goldsmiths' guild of Paris to offer to the cathedral of Notre-Dame de Paris in the early days of the month of May. The tradition began in 1630 and one painting was offered each year between then and 1707, with the exception of 1683 and 1694.

History

The tradition of the Mays de Notre-Dame originated in 1449, when the Parisian godsmiths’ guild (the Confrérie des Orfèvres) began offering devotional gifts to Notre-Dame de Paris Cathedral on May 1st, as an annual tribute to the Virgin Mary ^[1]. These early offerings were relatively modest, consisting of decorated trees, poetic tributes, and small tabernacles. Over the course of the 16th century, the Mays became increasingly elaborate, culminating in 1630 with the establishment of the so-called “grand Mays,” large-scale history paintings typically measuring 3 meters in size. These works were presented annually from 1630 until 1707 (excluding 1683 and 1694) and formed a coherent pictorial cycle, largely illustrating scenes from the Acts of the Apostles. Beyond their decorative function, the Mays served a didactic purpose: in a largely illiterate society, they conveyed biblical narratives visually. These images were often accompanied by an explanatory text, poems, and prayers continuing earlier traditions of literary offerings and guiding their interpretation^[2]

The commissioning of each May followed a structured and competitive process that reflected the organisation of the goldsmiths guild. Each year, two masters from the guild (there were 4 of them, each of whom served a 2 year term) selected an artist approximately one year in advance to complete a painting. Artists were required to submit a preparatory sketch, or modello, for approval before executing the final work. The specific subject was ultimately approved by the canons of Notre-Dame to ensure theological appropriateness. The commission generally included the monumental painting itself as well as two smaller reductions (or esquisses) of the work to be presented to the commissioning goldsmiths ^[3]. These smaller reductions serve as a valuable record for some of the Mays that have otherwise been lost or destroyed.

The presentation of each May was both a civic and religious event. The paintings were formally unveiled on May 1st. Initially displayed in prominent locations near the altar, they were later installed along the pillars of the nave, where they remained accessible to the public. Over time, the accumulation of these works filled much of the cathedral’s interior space and allowed for public viewing of devotional artwork in a time preceding widespread public museums - the Louvre, for instance didn’t open until 1793.

Given their prestigious nature, the Mays attracted many of the leading painters of 17th-century France, including Charles Le Brun, Jean Jouvenet, Eustache Le Sueur, Sébastien Bourdon, Laurent de La Hyre, and Noël Coypel. These artists were central to the development of French classical Baroque painting and were closely connected to royal patronage of Louis XIV and the Royal Academy of Painters and Sculptors (Académie royale de peinture et de sculpture).

The tradition came to an end in 1707, largely due to financial pressures and changing artistic tastes. Unfortunately during the French Revolution in 1793, many of the paintings were seized and dispersed, with some entering museum collections such as the Louvre while others were lost or destroyed. Subsequent restorations of Notre-Dame by Eugène Viollet-le-Duc in the 19th century further scattered the surviving works across France. Today, fifty-three of the original seventy-six paintings remain. Several are known to exist in their reduced formats and by engravings (1653, 1660, 1676, 1677, 1679, 1681, 1685, 1686, 1688, 1690, 1692, 1693, 1696, 1697, 1699, 1700 and 1701)^[4] predominantly by Nicolas-Henri Tardieu. ^[5]

List of the Mays