medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
From: John Briggs <[log in to unmask]>
> This may not be the right place to ask, but here goes: Can anyone point me
to recent work on the Abbey of Saint-Denis? Specifically, the latest
thinking on the form of Abbot Suger's choir?
this may be of some use, either in and of itself or for references to recent
literature:
Thomas G. Waldman and William W. Clark, LOUIS VII'S CHARTER OF 1144 FOR
SAINT-DENIS AND THE TWO TABERNACLES OF ABBOT SUGER, in Stephanie A.
Hayes-Healy, ed. Medieval paradigms: essays in honor of Jeremy duQuesnay
Adams. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2005.
the authors' abstract:
This essay analyzes a charter of Louis VII drafted by Abbot Suger, the
language of which allows us to identify Origen's homily on the Tabernacle as a
major influence on Suger's thought and on his building. In turn, this leads to
new insights into the liturgy celebrated at the dedication of the church on
June 11, 1144.
i have it in a .doc format and could send it along to you (or anyone else)
off-list.
> I now find that John James doesn't believe it either.
JJ's ideas always need to be used with great caution.
he has a good Eye for stone, but his scholarship is pretty consistently
sloppy.
>He points out
where?
>that the timescale given in Abbot Suger's account (and modern re-tellings) of
three (or four) years for the building of the choir isn't sufficient to
build from crypt to high vaults. There wasn't time for all the mortar to
set, for one thing.
sounds reasonable, though it must be remembered that, building on a
pre-existing crypt, foundation work was relatively minimal.
and, one of the inherent great advantages to 'gothic' (even 'early gothic')
construction was a considerable savings in materials, labor and (therefore)
expense.
>Or room for all the masons required to work together simultaneously.
mmmm... would have to see his reasoning on this.
>He suggests that only the ground stage of Suger's 'choir' was completed, and
that the chevet was roofed over at arcade level.
sounds possible, almost.
except, no clearstory level at all, for over 50 years?
> This strikes me as more plausible, but I wondered what reaction there had
been to the suggestion.
i don't know whether Waldman & Clark discuss this, but they're worth reading.
c
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