IT’S A WRAP

(This is the final story in Robert F. Rodriguez’ deep dive into the Portal of Paradise, the stunning sculptural work of Simon Verity and assistants.) – RM

Simon Verity and Jean-Claude Marchionni finish work on the Portal of Paradise

After completing the 14 carvings for the upper-rank figures of the Portal of Paradise, Simon Verity and Jean-Claude Marchionni still had much to do before they could finally pull down the scaffolding for the last time.

There were still several pedestals below the major-rank figures to carve, a decorative band on the top capitals needed carving and some naughty secrets and tributes required attention. Simon and Jean-Claude also decided to add color to the 3 ½-foot-tall upper-rank figures.

Senior Cathedral docent Tom Fedorek explains that in the Middle Ages, it was customary to paint the portal sculptures in bright colors. All the stone carvers working on the portal project employed the tools and techniques that built the great Medieval Gothic cathedrals, and painting was another way they carried on the traditions of their predecessors.

Simon made the paints himself, the colors derived from minerals. “I take the mineral crystals that are mentioned in the Book of Revelation,” Simon once said, (I use) “chrysoprase, malachite, beryl and work them into pigments to paint the figures. One should always use beautiful and rare materials in the creation of anything of honor.”

Twelve minerals are listed in Revelation, Book 21. Among them are jasper – usually red, yellow, brown or green in color; sapphire; chrysoprase – normally apple green to deep green in tone; amethyst; emerald, sardonyx – with shades of red to brown; and beryl – which is colorless, but often reveals hues of green, blue, yellow and pink.

Binders are the second component of paint, holding the pigment particles in a concentrated suspension and then keeping the color in place after the paint has dried. Historically, binders have included natural substances such as egg yolk (tempera), linseed and poppy seed oil, tree resins, animal glues, saliva, milk, gelatin, and even blood. Simon used casein, a derivative of milk, as his binding agent. 

Simon exchanged hammers and chisels for pigments and paintbrushes as he mixed his palette of colors into small paper or plastic coffee cups to paint the figures, adding deep colors of purple and emerald to the flowing robes, softer hues for the figures’ hair and even adding bright colors for the eyes. The paint is water-soluble and the once vibrant colors have softened and faded over time. The colors are more pronounced on the portal’s south side since it is out of direct sunlight most of the time.

Over the course of their work, Simon and Jean-Claude placed a number of tributes and secrets throughout the portal carvings. 

In at least two places, illustrations of carnal lust are carved in hard-to-locate spots. Simon and Jean Claude artistically incorporated these naughty scenes into the overall design, making them difficult to see without binoculars or a telephoto lens (or knowing exactly where to look).

Two other special carvings are visible on the north side of the portal. Tucked behind the left shoulder of the major-rank figure of Elisha is a tribute to stone carvers. A solitary figure with a large mallet and chisel toils away at a rough block of stone.

Directly across, just above Samuel’s right shoulder, is a moment frozen, a time stamp – a rendering of the unfinished Cathedral as it looked in the mid-1990s with the southwest tower rising – and the way it still looks today. The upper-rank figure of Samuel has one more secret. Jean-Claude Marchionni disclosed that his rather prominent schnozz served as the model for Samuel’s nose.

With the upper-rank figures all completed, there was still more carving work to be done. While the Stoneyard apprentices and Simon had carved most of the base pedestals and columns, three were either uncarved or unfinished. Jean-Claude took on the task of carving the pedestals beneath the major-rank figures of David and Amos/Hosea and finishing the carving below the figure of John the Baptist.

The pedestal beneath the major-rank figure of David shows him and a number of women celebrating the arrival of the Ark of the Covenant. Twelve musicians “making merry before the Lord with all their might, with songs and lyres and harps and tambourines and castanets and cymbals” also mark the scene. (2 Samuel 6:5) Elsewhere on the pedestal, we see a young David holding the head of the slain Goliath along with a Star of David.

The next pedestal shows the northern kingdom caught in a downward spiral of lawlessness and civil disorder. Following the Renaissance tradition of placing Biblical scenes in contemporary settings, Jean-Claude has transplanted the scene to modern New York City. It is a terrifying representation of the words of the prophets of doom. A bus and cars plunge into the water as the Brooklyn Bridge collapses.  Further, along this downward spiral we see the New York Stock Exchange (perhaps after a financial crash) with snakes, spiders and skeletons depicting malice, evil and destruction.

Jean-Claude also had to complete the unfinished pedestal capital under the figure of John the Baptist that D’Ellis “Jeep” Kincannon started. Jean-Claude added oversized ears and hands to the honeycombs and carob trees on the column shaft carved by “Jeep,” who had to leave the carving midway to do drafting work for Cathedral Stoneworks. The combined work instructs us to listen to the preaching of John, which foreshadows the coming of Christ.

A June 29, 1997 New York Times article proclaimed, “It took almost 10 years, $500,000, half a dozen artisans and some 40 million blows. But tomorrow, work will end on the Portal of Paradise, the central entrance on the west face of the Cathedral of St. John the Divine.”

Asked his feelings when the project was finished, Jean-Claude replied, “Mixed, mixed emotion,” adding, “You feel great because it’s done but you miss (all the carvings on) the arch.”

Jean-Claude had several items on his wish list to continue working on the portal and beyond. To fully complete the Portal of Paradise, 46 archivolts would have to be carved above all the figures and above the central tympanum of St. John the Divine. An archivolt is an ornamental molding or band following the curve on the underside of an arch.

According to the Commission of Stained Glass and Iconography of 1927, in the archivolts, “46 small figures of angels singing, in adoration etc.” were indicated. In all likelihood, James Park Morton, Dean of the Cathedral, and his advisory panel would probably have opted for something more in line with Simon Verity’s execution of the portal. 

And, to further extend his time working at the Cathedral, Jean-Claude could also envision carving the eight major-rank figures for the Preacher’s Portal or south portal below St. Paul’s tower. Dean Morton initially wanted Simon to carve here.

But Jean-Claude’s dream of more carving on the west façade would not be realized as the cathedral had to shift dwindling finances and resources away from new construction. Major funding from The Florence Gould Foundation and the Overbrook Foundation allowed the portal project to finish even though construction of the southeast tower stopped several years earlier due to a lack of money. 

A March 9, 1997 New York Times article stated: “the Portal of Paradise, the central entrance to the west façade, should be finished in June, after which no new construction on the unfinished 105-year Episcopal cathedral is planned. Upon completion of the portal, emphasis will shift for several years to conservation and preservation, Mr. Farrah (Jere Farrah, the Cathedral’s executive vice president) said. These include repairs on the cathedral’s leaky roof, restoration of the Great Organ and the conservation of the 12 17^th-century Barberini tapestries.” The cathedral clearly had other pressing concerns.

With the scaffolding finally removed, visitors flocked to see the finished work.

Senior docent Tom Fedorek says that Simon and his crew were very fortunate to work with a Dean (James Park Morton) who gave them wide latitude to exercise artistic freedom. 

Joseph Kincannon, a long-serving stone carver at the Cathedral, observes, “I would say that initially the carvings on the west front were not well received. We had plenty of cheerleaders at the cathedral, but many in the community were highly critical of the statuary. It was such a contrast to the work of John Angel and his team, that there was a lot of opposition to such a stylistic departure from one portal to the next.” Sculptor John Angel’s more traditional and classical carvings of saints and scholars are seen on the nearby north portal.

“Fortunately,” Joseph adds, “the further Simon and Jean-Claude took the work, the more it was embraced by the public. It was a brave move on Simon’s part to forge ahead and not compromise his vision under pressure.”

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In case you missed earlier parts of this series or wish to revisit them, below are the links:

A Son Visits His Father’s Masterpiece – Johno Verity Visits the Portal of Paradise, one of his father’s major works.

The Portal Project Begins – Stoneyard apprentices contribute solidly to the first phase.

Dry Bones and Tiny Towers – Apprentices tackle portal bases on the South side.

Carving The Major Rank Figures – Simon Verity as a medieval image maker.

Small Carvings Play a Major Role – A closer view of the often-overlooked work behind the major figures.

French and English – How Could They Work Together – The bonds of friendship and teamwork grow between Simon Verity and Jean-Claude Marchionni.

Sources: 

• Tom Fedorek: Virtual Tour of the Portal of Paradise
• Portal of Paradise: A Guide to the Sculptures
• New York Observer June 4, 1997
• New York Newsday, July 6, 1994
• New York Times June 29, 1997
• New York Times March 9, 1997
• Gemological Institute of America
• Wikipedia