# Interior view [View the canonical artwork record]() ## Artwork - Artist: [ARCHITECT, French]() - Date: 1451-1500 - Technique: Photo ## Commentary Construction of the present church began in 1494, but was delayed by the Wars of religion and by a shortage of funds. It was begun in the Gothic style; the chapels of the apse were finished in 1530 and the transept in 1578. While the interior of the church was largely Gothic, the <a onclick="return OpenOther\('/html/b/brosse/gervais1.html'\)" href="/html/b/brosse/gervais1.html">façade</a> was built in an original new style, the French Baroque, on a plan by architect Salomon de Brosse. The photo shows the interior of the church looking west toward the organ and entrance. The church is one of the great shrines of organ music, thanks to the Couperin family; eight members of the family were organists there from 1656 until 1826. They included Louis Couperin \(1626–1661\), and François Couperin \(1668–1733\) authors of celebrated masses and other compositions for the instrument. The grand organ of Couperin is still in place on the Tribune above the entrance at the back of the church. <p> <table align=left cellpadding=5 border=1 width=320 bgcolor="\#99cccc"> <tr valign=middle><td><img src="/support/gif/listen.gif" border=0 valign=middle> Suggested listening \(streaming mp3, 6 minutes\):<br><a href="\#" onClick="w=window.open \('/music1/17\_cent/couperin\_pieces.html', 'newWin', 'scrollbars=yes,status=no,dependent=yes,screenX=0,screenY=0,width=350,height=350'\);w.opener=this;w.focus\(\);return true"><b>François Couperin: Pieces de clavicen \(excerpts\)</b></a> </td></tr></table> ## Related artworks - [Aerial view]() - [Aerial view]() - [Aerial view]() - [Aerial view]() - [Aerial view]() - [Aerial view]() - [Aerial view]() - [Aerial view]() - [Aerial view]() - [Bird's eye view]() - [Burial lantern]() - [Castle]() ## Attribution [Web Gallery of Art]()