In 1835, François Guizot, Minister of Public Instruction, commissioned Albert Lenoir, who the following year had been appointed architect of the Palais des Thermes (now the Musée de Cluny), to produce a scientific work on the monuments of Paris up to the 17th century, entitled Statistique monumentale de Paris . It took over 30 years to complete. Based on period documents as well as recent archaeological discoveries, the work is monumental. It is divided into two parts, one devoted to monuments of the Roman era, the other to those of the Christian era. One or more plates are dedicated to each monument, depicting its remains, developments and, in some cases, reconstructions. 36 plates are devoted to Saint-Germain Abbey, considered representative of Romanesque architecture in its transition to Gothic.
Emile Ollivier, one of the book's principal engravers, depicts Saint-Germain abbey as it was supposed to have looked in the 17th century, before the destruction that occurred during the Revolution. This reconstructed general view reflects the project's concern for historical accuracy.
Dimensions of the sheet (cm): H. 65 × W. 50
Dimensions of the plate (cm): H. 38 × W. 51.1
