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medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture From: "Grover Zinn (imap)" <[log in to unmask]> > I have no comment on the essay on traumwerk concerning Suger. I'd just like to point out that the opening image http://traumwerk.stanford.edu/philolog/2006/01/abbe_sugers_theory_of_light_lu.html >is NOT the construction of a cathedral, as the author states, but rather the construction of the Jerusalem Temple, as presented in Jean Fouquet's illumination of Joespheus' _Antiquities_. well, it is, and it isn't. >(It looks at first glance like a gothic church some might say, even at second, third and fourth glances. >--but then, "reconstructions' of the Temple have often reflected the age in which they have been produced!!) of necessity. just as the costume is late middevil rather than Solomonaical (Solomonesque?). the parallel with the topography of Paris has been noted by Art Hysterians looking at this image --the King's palace just _en face de la Cathedral_, etc. i recall that, in a lecture back in '67, Robert Branner used this painting (and others) to suggest (seriously, i believe) that the buildings of (at least) St. Louis' time might have actually been gilded, just as Fouquet portrays them. (this was a particularly striking idea to come up with back in those daze, since both the Cathedral and the Ste. Chapelle were then most definitely Jet Black.) he was particularly struck by the extreme "flatness" of the mid-13th c. "Court Style" designs (e.g., the cathedral's south transept, the Ste. Chapelle), which are so strongly reminescent of metalwork "architecture." his thought was that the Ste. Chapelle (in particular) was built to replicate what it, in actuality, was: a Giant Reliquary. gilding would, therefore, be particularly appropriate for it. crazy as that idea might seem. c ********************************************************************** To join the list, send the message: join medieval-religion YOUR NAME to: [log in to unmask] To send a message to the list, address it to: [log in to unmask] To leave the list, send the message: leave medieval-religion to: [log in to unmask] In order to report problems or to contact the list's owners, write to: [log in to unmask] For further information, visit our web site: http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/medieval-religion.html