medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
> There was a distinct change in the "aesthetics of lighting" in churches
about the middle of the 13th century. Through the 12th century, as church
windows became larger and more numerous, the tones of glass used in stained
glass windows actually darkened, in order to maintain a consistently "dark"
lighting level (which would have been relieved by candles and lamps
strategically placed at altars, etc.). There is a nice analysis of this by
Louis Grodecki, 'Le vitrail et l'architecture au XIIe et au XIIIe siècles',
/Gazette des beaux-arts/, 6. pér., 36 (1949), 5-24. But in the mid-13th
century, not only did the tones of coloured glass begin to lighten up, but
much more white (or clear) glass began to be used in church windows. A nice
treatment of this aesthetic change is John Gage, 'Gothic Glass: Two Aspects of
a Dionysian Aesthetic', /Art History/, 5/1 (1982), 36-58.
thanks, Jim.
apparently neither of these articles is available on-line but, looking for the
Grodecki i did come across this one by him:
Louis Grodecki. "Le chapitre XXVIII de la Schedula du moine Théophile:
technique et esthétique du vitrail roman," Comptes-rendus des séances de
l'Académie des inscriptions et belles-lettres, CXX, 1976, pp. 345 – 357.
http://www.persee.fr/web/revues/home/prescript/article/crai_0065-0536_1976_num_120_2_13258?luceneQuery=(%2Bauthors%3Agrodecki)+AND+(+%2Baccess_right%3A(free)+)&words=grodecki&words=free
i'm sure that the (essentially) technological revolution in architecture which
we call "Gothic" precipitated --over time-- an "aesthetic" revolution, and one
which may well have been the result of the Unintended Consequences of
"dissolving" the walls and replacing them with glass.
however, the maintenance of "a consistently 'dark' lighting level" would have
been necessitated by the fact that too much interior light (even "candles and
lamps strategically placed at altars, etc.") renders the glass less vivid,
vibrant and legible.
as anyone who has had the frustrating experience of trying to appreciate the
glass in Chartres cathedral on a dark day in the face of the grotesque 20th c.
interior lighting scheme knows quite well.
c
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