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All the United Kingdom England London Church of Notre Dame de France

Church of Notre Dame de France

Colorful murals by Jean Cocteau hide within this peaceful London sanctuary.

London, England

Added By
Kerry Wolfe
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The Jean Cocteau murals.   SUZANNE Plunkett/used with permission
Cocteau gave himself a cameo.   SUZANNE Plunkett/used with permission
Visitors admiring the artwork.   SUZANNE Plunkett/used with permission
Mural details.   SUZANNE Plunkett/used with permission
The artist’s signature.   SUZANNE Plunkett/used with permission
The church interior.   Diliff/cc by-sa 3.0
  rbenn250 / Atlas Obscura User
May 2023   alittlebrowndog / Atlas Obscura User
Paintings   Xavixavir / Atlas Obscura User
Church exterior.   SUZANNE Plunkett/used with permission
  Collector of Experiences / Atlas Obscura User
May 2023   alittlebrowndog / Atlas Obscura User
Stations of the Cross   alittlebrowndog / Atlas Obscura User
  SEANETTA / Atlas Obscura User
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Leicester Square is notoriously jammed with tourists cramming into the bright, commercial stretch. But dip inside this chuch, and you’ll find not only a peaceful respite from the crowds, but also a rare work of art.

The Church de Notre Dame has an unusually round shape, thanks to the building’s original purpose of displaying panoramas. Viewing these 360-degree paintings was a popular pastime in the late 18th century. In 1865, the old panorama building was converted into a church. The new building, which was London’s first cast iron church, maintained its original roundness.

Unfortunately, much of the structure was destroyed during World War II. After the church was rebuilt in the years following the war, French attaché René Varin asked French artists to help transform the space into one that would celebrate France, as the church was originally intended to serve the neighborhood’s French population.

Poet, artist, writer, and filmmaker Jean Cocteau agreed to contribute to the cause. He made his way to London, where he spent a week huddled behind a protective barrier (erected to separate him from prying media and curious crowds) and got to work, reportedly chatting with the figures he created. The end result is three colorful murals showing the Annunciation, the Crucifixion, and the Assumption. Turn your eye to the Crucifixion scene, and you’ll see Cocteau gave himself a cameo in the scene.

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Murals Churches Art Sacred Spaces

Know Before You Go

The murals are preserved behind a protective glass barrier. It's best not to visit the church during mass, and to instead go during quieter hours. You can see the mass schedule on the church's website.

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Added By

Kerry Wolfe

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SEANETTA, Collector of Experiences, rbenn250, Xavixavir...

  • SEANETTA
  • Collector of Experiences
  • rbenn250
  • Xavixavir
  • alittlebrowndog

Published

January 3, 2019

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Sources
  • https://www.london-walking-tours.co.uk/secret-london/jean-cocteau-mural.htm
  • https://www.ft.com/content/7e6e55e8-89fe-11e1-87f0-00144feab49a
  • https://curiousrambler.com/2017/08/04/jean-cocteau-in-london/
Church of Notre Dame de France
5 Leicester Pl
London, England
United Kingdom
51.511353, -0.130066
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