Jesuits, the decoration also contained numerous symbols and sculptures of the Virgin Mary. The architectural historian André Chastel wrote: "the Jesuit order, even while recommending certain aspects, was attentive to local traditions." Its plan is a compromise between the Gesu's single nave flanked by side chapels and the traditional French cruciform plan, as seen in its long transepts. The tall windows in these prominent transepts and the short eastern apse allow in large amounts of light, and the dome under the crossing also recalls Italian architecture of a slightly earlier period, such as that of Carlo Maderno. At the entrance of the church are the two benetiers, or vessels made of seashells, donated by Victor Hugo on the occasion of the baptism of his first child. Art and Decoration Stained glass Following the Baroque fashion, most of the stained glass in the windows was white, to bring a maximum of light into the church. Many of the windows were decorated with the coat-of-arms of the family that donated the window Sculpture In addition to the free-standing sculptures on the facades and interior, the pendentives of the dome and other interior architecture have their own lavish sculpture. There are very few surfaces inside the church without some sort of sculpture. Painting The church displays several notable paintings from the 17th century. A series of three paintings depicts scenes from the life of Louis IX, or Saint Louis, for whom the church named. The fourth of the series has disappeared. "Louis XIII offering to Saint Louis a model of the Church Saint-Louis", attributed to the workshop of Simon Vouet, located in the right transept. "The Death of Saint Louis", by Jacques de Létin (1597-1661), also in the right transept. "Saint Louis receiving the Crown of Thorns from the hands of Christ" by Michel Corneille the Elder (1601-1664) Corneille was a pupil of Simon Vouet. Another notable work in the left transept is "Christ in the Garden of Olives" by Eugène Delacroix (1793-1863), which depicts Christ learning of his coming from the angels, and accepting it with resignation, while the disciples sleep. In his journal, Delacroix wrote: "The angels of death, sad and severe, gaze upon Christ with looks of melancholy." This paintings has been on a long-term loan to the Metropolitan Museum in New York. The painting of the "Death of Saint Louis" by Jacques de Létin shows the King, stricken with