Roland Doré was a 17th-century sculptor and his workshop or "atelier" produced many sculptures for the enclos paroissiaux or "parish closes" of Brittany. In particular his work can be seen on calvaries and in the church's south porch. He was born in 1616 and died in 1660. Little detail of his life is known but it is recorded that he practised as an architect in Landerneau, as well as running his workshop, and was recorded as calling himself the "Sculpteur du Roi" (The King's sculptor). His works, all of an ecclesiastical nature, are mainly located in Léon and the north of Cornouaille. They can be taken as works by Doré's workshop rather than just by Doré himself. Brittany is particularly rich in calvaries, some of a very elaborate nature. In most cases the calvary involves both the crucifixion cross and side crosses or gibbets bearing the good and the bad robbers. Below this, on the crosspieces, were statues of those present at the crucifixion. A feature of Breton calvaries is that most of the statues were carved as a pair (géminées in French) and effectively back to back. Doré's output was prodigious and he worked on nine monuments in Saint-Thégonnec, five in Logonna-Daoulas and four in the parish of Plougastel-Daoulas. He also received four commissions to work in Hanvec, three in Guiclan, Irvillac and Lampaul-Guimiliau and two commissions in Cléden-Cap-Sizun, Hôpital-Camfrout, Landerneau, La Martyre, Plabennec, Pleyben, Plogonnec, Saint-Nic, Saint-Servais and Saint-Urbain.
Main works Brittany is divided into five departments: Côtes-d'Armor, Finistère, Ille-et-Vilaine, Loire-Atlantique and Morbihan. Dore's works will here be recorded per department and for Finistère a further subdivision into its arrondissements of Morlaix, Châteaulin, Quimper and Brest.
Works by Doré in the Arrondissement of Brest Doré is attributed with the following works in the Brest arrondissement.
Hôpital-Camfrout For the Église Notre-Dame de Bonne Nouvelle in Hôpital-Camfrout, Doré sculpted a Christ sauveur and also worked on the Croix du Run and the Calvaire de Troan.
Plabennec The Locmaria-Lan chapel in Plabennec holds a Dorė statue of the Virgin Mary and Child in a niche in the bell-tower and the atelier are credited with carving the crucifix on the Calvaire de Scaven.
La Martyre La Martyre's Croix de Kerlavarec, of which only the shaft of the cross remains, is attributed to Dorė.
Plougastel-Daoulas In Plougastel-Daoulas, the Doré atelier executed statues for the Saint-Guénolé chapel's calvary which has the date 1654 inscribed on the pedestal supporting the cross. The statues are of Guénolé reversed with the Virgin Mary, the crucifix reversed with the Virgin Mary holding the baby Jesus and Saint Peter reversed with John the Evangelist.
La Forest-Landerneau Some stairs separate the upper part of the cemetery in La Forest-Landerneau from the lower section and these are decorated with Dorė sculptures of a saint in bishop's attire and Catherine of Alexandria.
Plouvien The Dorė atelier worked on a statue of Saint Jaoua for the fountain by Plouvien's Saint Jaoua chapel.
Le Conquet There is a statue of Saint Francis of Assisi in the choir area of the Ėglise Saint Derrien in Le Conquet.
Tréflévénez In Tréflévénez, in the Église Saint-Pierre there is a Doré sculpture of Saint Margaret and the dragon. It is located on the south wall of the south aisle.
Le Tréhou In the south porch of the Sainte-Pitère parish church in Le Tréhou, the Doré atelier executed statues of Saint Peter, Saint Andrew, John the Evangelist and Saint Thomas as well as the Christ sauveur which is placed on a pedestal.
Lannilis In 1630, Doré worked on the calvary at Kerosven in Lannilis. He sculpted Christ on the cross and statues of John the Baptist, John the Evangelist and the Virgin Mary.
Le Folgoët For the Le Folgoët Croix du Champ de foire, the Dorė atelier carved the crucifix and a shield with depictions of Jesus' pierced and bleeding hands, feet and heart, and for the parish church Doré executed a statue of "Christ souffrant".
Dirinon There is a calvary called "La Croix-Rouge" at Dirinon which has Doré statues of Christ on the cross and back to back statues depicting John the Evangelist /Saint Roch and the Virgin Mary/Saint Sebastian.
Logonna-Daoulas Outside the "Chapelle Saint-Jean-Baptiste" at Logonna-Daoulas, there is a fountain dating to 1644 with a sculpture depicting John the Baptist which is attributed to Doré. Nearby, another fountain, the "Fontaine de saint Jean l'Évangéliste" with its sculpture depicting John the Evangelist dates to 1647 and is also attributed to Doré. Inside the chapel itself, the polychrome statue of St. Laurent is also a Doré work. In the same area of Logonna-Daoulas it was Doré who was responsible for the Croix de Ruliver and the Croix de Cléménéhy. See various photographs below. In 1647 Doré executed a statue of John the Baptist for a niche in a nearby fountain at Goelet-ar-C'hoat.
Saint-Méen The "Coz-Castel" calvary dates to 1632 and was originally located in the village of Guennéroc but was given to Saint-Méen in 1879. It carries statues by Doré of John the Evangelist and the Virgin Mary, apart from Jesus on the Cross.
Saint-Renan On the Saint-Renan "Croix de Quillimerrien" is a statue of the Virgin Mary which is attributed to the Dorė atelier.
"La croix du Cranou" This calvary in the Cranou forest near Hanvec has sadly lost its cross. It dates to 1627. It had served the Saint-Conval chapel which is now in ruins.
Irvillac At Irvillac there is a fountain by the Notre-Dame-de-Lorette chapel with a calvary by Doré. This dates to 1644 and whilst the figure of Christ has been mutilated and lost both arms and legs, the back to back ("géminées") statues of the Virgin Mary/Saint Peter and John the Evangelist/Saint Yves have survived, as have the depictions of the two robbers crucified with Jesus. The calvary is known as the "Coatnan" calvary. At Irvillac, Doré also worked on the calvary by the Locmélar chapel and also worked on a statue of Saint John in the sacristy of the Irvillac Église Saint-Pierre.
There is another Doré calvary at Clécnunan near Irvillac. This features Christ on the cross, a mutilated depiction of a saint and statues "géminées" of the Virgin Mary and Saint Peter which are also badly damaged.
Saint-Urbain, Finistère This calvary erected in 1550, was restored by Doré in 1630 and is located by the Chapelle Notre-Dame in Trévarn, Saint-Urbain. It has depictions both of Christ on the Cross and Christ aux liens (Christ sitting awaiting his crucifixion). Many calvaries in Brittany were erected to celebrate the end of an outbreak of plague and the shaft of the Trévarn Calvary is decorated with small extrusions or bumps intended to mimic the boils which were a sign of the bubonic plague ("bubons"). Another calvary near Saint Urbain was restored by Doré in 1630 and that is the calvary at Quinquis. Erected in 1518 and having a height of 5 metres, the depiction of Christ on the Cross is backed by a Pietà.
Works by Doré in the Arrondissement of Morlaix Doré is attributed with the following works in the Morlaix arrondissement.
Cléder The Dorė atelier executed the crucifix on the Croix de Kerzuoc'h in Cléder.
Plougonven Doré completed a statue of Saint Joseph for the Plougonven parish church, the Église Saint-Yves. It can be seen in the north part of the nave. The statue had originally been in the Kerloaguen chapel. The saint holds a palm leaf in one hand and a closed book in the other.
Plougourvest In Plougourvest, the Doré atelier executed a statue of the Virgin Mary for the exterior of the south porch of the Église Saint-Pierre and the statues Christ glorieux and that to Saint James the Greater inside the porch.
Guiclan In the south porch of the Guiclan parish church is a Doré sculpture of Christ on the cross which came from Kerizamel. At Kerlaviou there is a badly mutilated calvary which dates to 1622 and has been attributed to Doré, and at Pen-ar-Feunteun there is another Doré calvary. This dates to 1642 and was restored in 1889 by Larhantec. The back-to-back statues depict John the Evangelist reversed with an unidentified saint and the Virgin Mary reversed with Saint Catherine.
Pleyben The 1625 calvary in Pleyben depicts Jesus on the cross and below him John the Evangelist and the Virgin Mary. In 1929, Saint Yves and Saint Geneviève were added as well as a sculpture of St Edern riding a stag, known as the "Kroaz-Edern" calvary. In the porch of the Église Saint Germain in Pleyben are statues of the apostles of which Doré sculpted that of James the Greater and John the Evangelist. There are also the remains of a calvary by the Dorė atelier in the Église Saint Germain ossuary.
Saint-Sauveur, Finistère The Saint-Sauveur, Finistère, cross dates to 1630 and is located in the cemetery at Kerbouzard. The calvary is high.
Plounéour-Ménez For the south porch of the Saint-Yves church in Plounéour-Ménez, Doré executed two statues of John the Evangelist and Saint Thomas. He also worked on part of the calvary with back-to-back statues of the Virgin Mary and Saint Peter and John the Evangelist and Saint Paul. The atelier also worked on the Kersimonet cross executing a statue of the Virgin Mary with child. Finally in Plounéour-Ménez, the Dorė atelier are credited with execution of a calvary at the "manoir du Penhoat". On the fountain there Saint Francis of Assisi and Saint James the Greater's statues are all that remain of a calvary.
Enclos paroissial de Saint-Thégonnec
This is one of Finistère's most visited sights. The enclos at Saint-Thégonnec, surrounded by a retaining wall (mur d’enceint), comprises a grand entrance (porte triomphale), an ossuary, a calvary and the parish church of Notre-Dame. Doré's statue of St John inside this church dates to 1625 and is one of the rare occasions when Doré signed his work Inside the church Doré also carved the statues in the belltower porch, this in 1625. The top of the calvary has a cross depicting Jesus whilst the crosses of the two robbers are placed on two columns rising up from the base of the calvary. Four angels surround Jesus' cross collecting his blood in chalices. Two do so from the wounds to his heart and hands and the other two collect the blood from his feet. On the first crosspiece (croisillion) are statues of two cavaliers on horseback, one of whom, Saint Longinus, was the soldier who pierced Jesus' side with a lance. These stand on either side of the reverse side of the cross which depicts Christ leaning on the column where he was whipped ("Christ à la colonne"). On the next crosspiece are statues (geminées or back to back) of John the Evangelist and Saint Yves and the Virgin Mary and Saint Peter these on either side of a depiction of Mary with child and a Pietà. On the base of the calvary are representations of different scenes from the Passion and the Resurrection; the descent from the cross, the burial and the resurrection. We then have sculptures showing Jesus being tied up, Jesus blindfolded and being manhandled by two soldiers, Jesus being whipped, an "Ecce Homo", Pontius Pilate washing his hands after passing sentence on Jesus, Jesus meeting Veronica whilst carrying the Cross, and in a small niche, a statue of St Thégonnec and his cart. All this was the work of "Le Maître de Saint-Thégonnec" in 1610 and several years later Doré was to add the depiction of Christ being mocked. The figures wear the dress of the reign of Henry IV. Doré also worked on the nearby "Calvaire de Broustou" in 1632 and the "Croix de Pennavern". The "Calvaire de Broustou" is 4 metres high and the Pennavern cross has a height of 5 metres and dates to 1647. Doré also worked on the south porch of Saint-Thégonnec's Église Notre-Dame. There is also a Doré sculpture at Le Kelf where there is a depiction of the Virgin Mary in a small niche. This dates to 1652. Another calvary at Coslen was restored by Doré in 1622.
Saint-Servais