April 9, 1888 - September 30, 1897
Entrance to Carmel
The family takes Thérèse to Carmel
Wash drawing by Charles Jouvenot
"The morning of the big day, after taking a last look at Les Buissonnets, this graceful nest of my childhood that I was never to see again, I left on the arm of my beloved King to climb the mountain of Carmel. Like the day before all the family was reunited..."
Ms A 69 r°
Entrance of Thérèse to the Carmel through the conventual door
Late watercolor. A draft copy annotated is retained.
"I felt my heart beating with such violence that it seemed impossible to move forward when someone came to sign us to come to the convent door; however, I moved forward while wondering if I was not going to die by the force of the beatings of my heart Ah! what a moment that is! You have to have been there to know what it is..."
Ms A 69 r°
Thérèse welcomed at the closing
Draft not accepted.
"A few moments later, the doors of the holy ark closed on me and there I received the embraces of the dear sisters who had served me as mothers and whom I was now going to take as models of my actions..."
Ms A 69 r°
Postulant Therese
Postulant Thérèse sweeping the cloisters
Wash drawing by Charles Jouvenot
Mary's profession
Therese postulant crowning Mary on the day of her profession
Watercolor by Sister Marie of the Holy Spirit.
See here the draft copy annotated.
Therese postulant crowning Mary on the day of her profession
Another version, watercolor by Sister Marie du Saint-Esprit
"The radiant celebrations of the month of May, celebrations of the profession and taking of the veil of our dear Marie, the eldest of the family that the last had the happiness of crowning on her wedding day..."
Ms A 71 r°
Taking of the habit
Thérèse under the cloisters before the ceremony of her taking of the habit
Annotated draft
Thérèse at the convent gate on the day of her taking of the habit
Painting by Blanchard retouched by Céline (73 x 54 cm). We have kept a different wash annotated and a draft copy.
Thérèse at the convent gate on the day of her taking of the habit
Watercolor of Sister Marie of the Holy Spirit
"Against all hope, our dear Father recovered from his second attack and Monsignor fixed the ceremony for January 10. The wait had been long, but also, what a beautiful celebration!... Nothing was missing, nothing, not even the snow... I don't know if I've already told you about my love for the snow?... As a child, its whiteness delighted me; one of the greatest pleasures was to walk under the snowflakes. This taste for snow came to me?... Perhaps because, being a small winter flower, the first adornment whose embellished nature my child's eyes saw must have been its white coat... Finally I had I had always wished that on the day of my taking the habit, nature would be decked in white like me. The day before that beautiful day, I looked sadly at the gray sky from which a fine rain escaped from time to time and the temperature was so sweet that I no longer hoped for snow. The following morning the sky had not changed; nevertheless the feast was delightful, and the most beautiful, the most delightful. This flower was my darling King, he had never been more beautiful, more dignified... He was admired by everyone, it was his day of triumph, his last feast here below. "
Ms A 72 r°
Thérèse going to the choir in procession on the day of her taking of the habit
Wash drawing by Charles Jouvenot.
"After kissing my dear King one last time, I entered the enclosure, the first thing I saw under the cloister was "my little pink Jesus" smiling at me in the midst of flowers and lights and then immediately my gaze on snowflakes... the courtyard was white like me. What delicacy of Jesus! Anticipating the desires of his little fiancée, he gave her snow... Snow, who is the mortal, so powerful was he? he, who can make it fall from the sky to charm his beloved?... Perhaps the people of the world asked themselves this question, what is certain is that the snow of my taking on my coat seemed to them a small miracle and that the whole town was astonished by it They thought that I had a strange taste for loving the snow... So much the better! of the Bridegroom of virgins... of Him who cherishes the snow-white Lilies."
Ms A 72 v°
Thérèse's habit in the choir
Wash drawing by Charles Jouvenot
Profession
Thérèse makes her profession at the hands of Mother Marie de Gonzague - September 8, 1890
Thérèse on the evening of her profession (before taking the black veil)
Painting of Sister Marie of the Holy Spirit - 73 x 54 cm. We kept his the opinion prior.
Thérèse on the evening of her profession
Watercolor of Sister Marie of the Holy Spirit
refectory
Thérèse working in the refectory
Wash drawing by Charles Jouvenot.
Thérèse working in the refectory
Watercolor of Sister Marie of the Holy Spirit
"After my habit, I was put in the refectory until the age of 18, I swept it and I put the water and the beer".
CJ July 13, 1897, 18th word
In the laundry room
Therese in the laundry
Wash drawing by Charles Jouvenot
"When we needed a sister for a boring and tiring job, she always offered to do the laundry, especially, she was ingenious in giving up. One day, I asked her what was best, to go and rinse cold water or to stay in the laundry room to wash with hot water. She answered me: "Oh! it's not difficult to know! When it costs you to go to cold water, it is a sign that it is also costing others; so, go ahead; if, on the contrary, it is hot, preferably stay in the laundry room. By taking the worst places, one practices both self-mortification and charity. for the others, since the best ones are left to them. After that, I explained to myself why I saw her go to the laundry room when it was hot, and precisely in the place that has the least air.
Testimony of Sr Marie de la Trinité at the Ordinary Trial
The Divine Office in the choir
Thérèse celebrating the divine office in the choir
Wash drawing by Charles Jouvenot.
"How proud I was when I was a semainer at the Office, when I said the prayers aloud in the middle of the Choir! because I thought that the priest said the same prayers at Mass and that I had, like him, the right to pray aloud before the Blessed Sacrament, to give blessings, absolutions, to say the Gospel when I was first cantor".
Yellow notebook August 6, 1897, 6th word
Thérèse and Sister Saint-Pierre
Thérèse leading Sister St Pierre to the refectory
Wash drawing by Charles Jouvenot.
Thérèse leading Sister St Pierre to the refectory
Watercolor of Sister Marie of the Holy Spirit
Two sisters posed in front of Céline's lens to serve as a model for the artist.
Thérèse leading Sister St Pierre to the refectory
Annotated draft
"I remember an act of charity that the Good Lord inspired me to do when I was still a novice, it was very little, however our Father who sees in secret, who looks more at the intention than at the greatness of the action, has already rewarded me for it, without waiting for another life. It was when Sr. St. Pierre was still going to the choir and to the refectory. At the evening prayer she was placed in front of me: 10 minutes before 6 a.m., a sister had to bother to take her to the refectory, because the nurses had too many sick people to come and pick her up. It cost me a lot to offer to do this little service, because I knew that It was not easy to please this poor Sister St. Peter who suffered so much that she did not like to change her leader. However, I did not want to miss such a beautiful opportunity to exercise charity, remembering that Jesus had said: What you will do to the smallest of mine, you will have done it to me.humbly to lead it: it was not without difficulty that I managed to have my services accepted! Finally I set to work and I had so much good will that I succeeded perfectly."
Ms C 28 v° and following.
Recreation in the alley of chestnut trees
The novitiate in recreation in the alley of the chestnut trees
Disorganized
love wound
Thérèse immersed in the fire of love or "Wound of love" (14 1895 June)
Painting of Sister Marie of the Holy Spirit, 70 x 91 cm. We kept his the opinion.
love wound
Watercolor of Sister Marie of the Holy Spirit
love wound
Wash not retained
"Well, I was beginning my Way of the Cross, and all of a sudden, I was seized with such a violent love for the good God that I can only explain it by saying that it was like if I had been plunged entirely into the fire. Oh! what fire and what sweetness at the same time! I was burning with love and I felt that for a minute, a second longer, I could not have endured this ardor without to die. I then understood what the saints say about these states which they have experienced so often. As for me, I only experienced it once and only for a single moment, then I immediately fell back into my usual dryness."
Yellow notebook, July 7, 1897, 2nd word
Therese sacristan
Therese sacristan
Charcoal made in 1914 by Céline Martin after the picture n°40 of Therese.
Therese sacristan
Painting of Sister Marie of the Holy Spirit after Céline's charcoal.
Therese sacristan
Watercolor of Sister Marie of the Holy Spirit
« At this time, I was alone in the sacristy [...] I was also very happy to touch the sacred vessels, to prepare the little ones long intended to receive Jesus ».
Ms A 79
Therese in the cemetery
Therese in the cemetery
Painting of Sister Marie of the Holy Spirit (41 x 33 cm)
Therese in the cemetery
Watercolor of Sister Marie of the Holy Spirit
Therese in the cemetery
Drawing by Charles Jouvenot
Writing of manuscript A
Thérèse writes her manuscript A
Wash drawing by Sister Marie of the Holy Spirit. There is a draft copy commented.
Writing of manuscript A
Watercolor of Sister Marie of the Holy Spirit
Writing of manuscript A, from another perspective
Commented watercolour, with draft copy preserved.
Leafing roses
The novitiate plucks roses at Calvary in the courtyard
Wash drawing by Charles Jouvenot.
The novitiate plucks roses at Calvary in the courtyard
Annotated preparatory wash
Photo having served as a model for the artist
Therese alone stripping roses at Calvary in the courtyard
Old watercolor.
Jesus, my only Love, at the foot of your Calvary
Poetry 34
How I love to throw Flowers at you every evening!...
By stripping the spring rose for you
I would like to wipe away your tears...
Latest Interviews
Last interviews
Montage to illustrate the notes of Thérèse's last words, produced with a photo of Mother Agnes from 1913 and the last photo (retouched) of Thérèse No. 45.
last communion
Procession under the cloister of the infirmary for Thérèse's last communion
Disorganized
Thérèse's last communion in the infirmary
Wash drawing by Charles Jouvenot.
Agony and death
Therese's agony
Disorganized
Expiring Therese
Painting by Céline and Pascal Blanchard; 1920 (55 x 45,5cm).
In grisaille on panel. I had partly drawn it thinking I was doing it myself, then I gave it to Mr. Blanchard to paint it. He succeeded marvelously in the hands and the body, but Thérèse's face was so bad that the work was thought to be lost, because I tried in vain to get it. I remember one day when, putting down my palette and brushes, I leaned on my elbows to sob. Finally, by dint of prayers, I managed to give the face that the photo. reproduced. I also redid the radius. Finally, I do not have all the merit of this portrait.
Collection of Céline's artistic works
Expiring Therese
Watercolor of Sister Marie of the Holy Spirit
Therese deceased
Charcoal by Céline after the photo n°46 of Therese
Model for charcoal
