Stone-cutting workshop at the CathedralOscope | Saint-Malo – Mont-Saint-Michel Bay

A stonemason for a day!

©SMBMSM - Stone cutting workshop - maureen at work (1)|©Smbmsm

©SMBMSM - Stone carving workshop - first draft in pencil (2)|©Smbmsm

Today, the mission I’ve accepted is that of a stonemason. For me, who is not nimble with my ten fingers, this is quite a challenge!

So off I go to the CathédralOscope, in Dol de Bretagne where I have an appointment with Marc, Master Stonemason and his ‘pupil’ Olivier, who is also the director of this very fine museum dedicated to the builders of cathedrals.
The welcome is warm and good-natured. We are three apprentices and my colleagues at the moment are 8 and 13 years old respectively.

Several work tables are set up with the sculptor’s chisels and cruets, but also the pencils and squares that will be used to draw the designs chosen for our future masterpiece.

Choice of motif

©SMBMSM - Stone cutting workshop - getting around the difficulty (1)|©Smbmsm

Olivier asks me what pattern I want to make and I choose, in good Breton fashion,

a stylised ermine.

We get to work. No room for error! We’re each givena stone to carve, the basic tools, i.e. pencil square, and we trace our pattern. Olivier gives me a hand to draw my ermine, as I’m a bit shaky, at the thought of working directly on the material.

My little companions choose a triskel for one and the letter A for the other.

Then comes the delicate moment when we drop our pens for the chisel and cruet!

©SMBMSM - Stone carving workshop - first draft in pencil (1)|©Smbmsm

The art of patience!

©SMBMSM - Stone cutting workshop - getting around the difficulty (3)|©Smbmsm

The first scissor strokes are given by Marc and Olivier, so that the gesture is fully understood. The mastery is perfect and the gesture elegant and precious. I’m not sure I’ll ever be as good!”

I attack my motif with patience and apprehension but in the end, the gesture is quickly tamed and the whole takes a beautiful shape. Soon the first stone chips fly away, along with a fine white dust, which settles again on our hands.
15 minutes, then thirty… the drawings come to life under our hands. Patience is essential because we have to carve but not too much, we have to add relief, but without damaging the motif…

In the large courtyard, curious people come to see us, attracted by the sound of our cruets resonating. Very quickly, they enquire and reserve their place for the next workshop

After an hour and a half, the work is finished. Marc and Olivier then take over the finishing touches and, using a stylus, draw the floral motifs, waves or other symbols that will embellish the basic sculpture, making it unique and personalised.

We are now in possession of a real masterpiece that will now take pride of place on our desks or other living room shelves!