Publications
The Analysis of Gothic Architecture
A groundbreaking exploration of Gothic architecture, this volume advances our understanding through high-technology research methods pioneered by Robert Mark and Andrew Tallon. Utilizing photogrammetric and laser-scanned building surveys, the study offers unprecedented geometrical and structural analyses of iconic sites, including Notre-Dame in Paris and the cathedrals of Reims and Wells. The work not only honors Mark and Tallon's contributions but also provides new perspectives on major churches such as the abbeys of Saint-Denis and Alcobaça, Santa Maria Novella in Florence, and Clermont Cathedral. Contributors from diverse disciplines combine personal reminiscences with meticulous historiographical discussions, enriching the field with innovative insights.
The Afflicted Body of Job and the Aesthetic of Wholeness in Gothic Sculpture
Gothic sculptures depicting the afflicted body of Job (c. 1210–1235) challenge medieval aesthetic ideals by portraying physical suffering as compatible with inner virtue, offering a counter-narrative to the prevailing discourse of bodily wholeness. These works, found in Notre-Dame cathedrals of Paris and Reims, depict Job as an emaciated figure tormented by the Devil, yet their iconography varies subtly across sites, suggesting localized theological or symbolic meanings. The study argues that these sculptures represent a deliberate artistic shift—balancing realism with idealization—to convey the beauty of sanctity through affliction, providing new insights for disability studies and medieval art history.
Arts of the Medieval Cathedrals: Studies on Architecture, Stained Glass and Sculpture in Honor of Anne Prache ed. by Kathleen Nolan, Dany Sandron
A collection of thirteen essays, published in Arts of the Medieval Cathedrals: Studies on Architecture, Stained Glass and Sculpture in Honor of Anne Prache, presents groundbreaking insights into Gothic art and architecture. The volume, edited by Kathleen Nolan and Dany Sandron, integrates historical and archaeological evidence with new technologies to analyze the design, decoration, and functions of medieval cathedrals, including Reims Cathedral. Key contributions include Walter Berry's re-examination of Reims Cathedral's building chronology using 1990s excavation data, Michael T. Davis's analysis of Guillebert de Mets's fifteenth-century description of Paris, and Ellen M. Shortell's study on the choir of Saint-Quentin. The essays also explore stained glass programs, such as Sylvie Balcon-Berry's reconstruction of Reims Cathedral's destroyed windows, and sculpture, including William W. Clark's examination of the radiating chapels' exterior program. By applying geometric analysis and interdisciplinary approaches, the volume advances the understanding of Gothic architectural integration and workshop practices.
Encounter: Louis Grodecki
Louis Grodecki, a pioneering art historian and stained-glass expert, significantly advanced the study of medieval glass through his meticulous documentation and authentication methods. His work on the Corpus Vitrearum Medii Aevi (CVMA) project, which aimed to catalog and preserve medieval stained glass, introduced rigorous criteria for distinguishing original from restored pieces, such as analyzing glass thickness, weathering patterns, and paint adhesion. Grodecki's scholarly approach, characterized by relentless questioning and interdisciplinary research, challenged conventional dating and stylistic assumptions, notably in his studies of Gothic architecture and stained glass. His collaboration with colleagues like Jean Lafond and Anne Prache further enriched the understanding of medieval art, particularly at sites like the Cathedral of Notre-Dame in Paris and the Abbey of Saint-Rémi in Reims. Grodecki's legacy includes a profound impact on international art history, though his confrontational teaching style and resistance to contemporary intellectual trends left a complex legacy.
Alex J. Novikoff.The Medieval Culture of Disputation: Pedagogy, Practice, and Performance.
Alex J. Novikoff's study challenges the negative post-medieval perception of medieval scholastic disputation, revealing it as a dynamic and multifaceted practice integral to intellectual development from 1050 to 1263 in Northern France. Contrary to Renaissance and Enlightenment critiques, Novikoff demonstrates that disputation was part of a broader 'science of doubt,' encompassing argument, debate, dialogue, and polemic across educational, literary, performative, written, oral, and musical contexts. The research focuses on key figures like Anselm of Canterbury and his students at Bec, who revitalized dialectical reasoning and its application in theological debates, while also influencing the rise of the literary dialogue genre and sophisticated hermeneutics. It further explores how Aristotelian logic shaped medieval disputational practices, including vernacular debate poetry and art, culminating in the institutionalization of scholastic disputation within universities and Dominican preaching practices.
Dynamic Unfolding and the Conventions of Procedure: Geometric Proportioning Strategies in Gothic Architectural Design
Gothic architectural design employs dynamic geometric proportioning strategies that differ fundamentally from classical methods. These strategies involve conventions of procedure governing the sequential unfolding of forms, creating a unique architectural order distinct from the static proportions seen in classical design. This study clarifies these often misunderstood practices by leveraging computer-aided design (CAD) software to analyze measured buildings and original design drawings, including the towers of Ulm and Freiburg, and cross-sections of cathedrals like Reims and Prague. By reconstructing step-by-step geometric sequences, the research provides a rigorous foundation for understanding Gothic proportion, challenging previous unreliable interpretations, such as those by Konrad Hecht.
Cathédrale et pèlerinage aux époques médiévale et moderne: Reliques, processions et devotions à l’église-mère du diocese (review)
A review of the volume 'Cathédrale et pèlerinage aux époques médiévale et moderne' challenges the conventional distinction between cathedral worship and pilgrimage, demonstrating that cathedrals actively cultivated pilgrimage through relics, processions, and devotional practices. The collection of 17 essays, spanning medieval to postmedieval periods, reveals how cathedral authorities in sites like Reims, Le Puy-en-Velay, and Paris strategically acquired relics and organized liturgical events to attract pilgrims, blurring the line between institutional worship and individual devotion. The study highlights the enduring role of cathedrals as pilgrimage destinations, even during the Reformation and post-Tridentine periods, with notable examples including the Black Virgin at Le Puy-en-Velay and mendicant processions in Tournai. Methodologically, the review synthesizes historical evidence from multiple European sites to argue for a more integrated understanding of cathedral socio-religious dynamics.
The domus ecclesiae of Reims: the state of the question in the light of recent research
Recent archaeological research has confirmed the existence of Late Antique and Early Medieval structures on the site of the former archiepiscopal residence at Reims, known as the Palais du Tau. This includes a substantial two-story Carolingian building, likely the predecessor to the current north wing of the archbishop’s palace, and possibly an 9th-century archive building with a lower chapel erected by Archbishop Ebbo. The study reexamined written sources, particularly those from Gregory of Tours and Flodoard, to verify the location and internal organization of the domus ecclesiae south of the primitive cathedral. While some questions remain unresolved, this research clarifies the early history of the site, providing new insights into its architectural evolution and historical significance.
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