medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
From: Diana Wright <[log in to unmask]>
>I have my suspicions that some of the rural English churches that blame the
loss of stained glass on Cromwell never had much stained glass to begin with.
that may well be true, and i know nothing about the English situation.
however, i have for some years been trying to get some kind of handle on the
prevelance of both major and minor arts in the Chartrain region in the 11th
and 12th cc.
in otherwords, to comprehend "What we have Lost".
glass was a relatively expensive medium --and, perhaps, a relatively "new" one
in that time period in that region (though that assumption rests upon the
circular argument that there's not much left from that time period and
region...).
but i recently had ocassion to take a serious look at
Christian Davy, _Les peintures murales romanes de la vallée du Loir_.
Vendôme : Cherche-lune, 1997. x, 210 p., 48 p. of plates.
the region in question (and that's "Loir", not "Loire") is quite small, no
more than 100km in length, from just above Chateaudun to a bit below Vendome,
mostly along the course of this modest-sized river.
there are about a dozen churches with substantial remains of fresco paintings,
a few "significant" in this micro-region (La Madeleine of Chateaudun, La
Trinite of Vendome), but most quite modest in size and importance ("parish"
churches or priories).
from the meagre remains at the "major" places --on the lower walls of a
previously buried crypt in Chateaudun, too few fragments of what was surely a
major narrative program at Vendome (N.b., **not in the church, but in a former
refectory**)-- it is clear from their quality that we have lost what were once
first class, extensive paintings which probably once covered most of the walls
of the place.
the paintings in the "minor" places are somewhat uneven in quality, but most
of those seem to be in rather complex and sophisticated styles, probably
reflections of those developed at more substantial (and meditative)
institutions --Vendome, the very important Benedictine house at Bonneval (now
surviving only as a ruin) and perhaps further afield, in the important centers
of Orleans, Blois and Chartres.
i am unable to believe that these minor churches were unrepresentative of what
existed in the 12th c., the fragmentary frescos in most of them having only
survived by the shearest Chance, under later whitwash, behind later woodwork,
etc.
which leads me to conclude that the whole region --and, indeed, all of
Europe-- was simply *covered* with frescos, only a very, very tiny percentage
of which have survived, even in the "echoes" which we see in the rural Loir
churches.
i believe that the same could be said about the truly *vast* number of works
in the "minor" arts, which were mostly in media which were inherently less
durable than stone --sculptures in wood, stucco, wax, etc.; metalwork;
painting on all media...
including, yes, stained glass.
c
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