Pindar Press - publishers of art history and archaeology

Medieval Western

In Search of the Unknown in Medieval Architecture

by John James

24 x 17 cm 686 pp. 280 illus.
£150.00
Publication: October 2007
ISBN 1 904597 36 X
Cloth Bound

John James is an Australian architect and medieval historian. Since 1969 he has been searching for the origins of the Gothic style, beginning with a five-year study of Chartres cathedral. At that time there were no coherent techniques for analysing the detailed construction history of existing stone structures. This he created. He expanded his research to include all the early Gothic churches in the Paris region with a three-year survey of over 3500 buildings. His most important discovery has been that all churches of this period were constructed in many short campaigns by mobile building teams, and that major innovation was more likely to occur in the smaller buildings than in the larger. This volume makes available 42 of the author‘s studies on the development of Gothic architecture in France.

Contents

Introduction
History : A new chronology for French High Gothic: Consequences of The Ark of God
An investigation into the uneven distribution of churches in the Paris Basin
Memes and assumptions
The evolution of medieval architecture from a symbolic perspective
Evidence for flying buttresses before 1180; Chartres was lucky the Parisians were busy; Toichology: In defence of Toichology
Were the transept porches at Chartres added; An examination of some anomalies in the ascension and incarnation portals of Chartres Cathedral
Multiple contracting in the Saint-Denis chevet
Could Suger have built the choir of Saint-Denis in four years?
La construction de la façade occidentale de la cathédrale de Senlis
The Masters and their methods
A northern master for Clermont-Ferrand?; Vaulting
The evolution of the rib vault; The peaked arch, and the earliest domical rib vaults in the Paris Basin
The rib vaults of Durham cathedral; Rib Vaults in Italy
Techniques:Medieval mortar ; Construction, cranes, formwork and timing
Foliage And Decoration: The foliate capitals in the nave of Peterborough Cathedral
The rustic master – a Chartrain master in Italy; Chapiteaux à feuilles d’acanthe du Portail Royal
An analysis of chevron patterns and column patterns at Durham
Geometry: An Architect’s approach to Medieval Geometry
Measuring and hunting geometry
Medieval Units of Measure: the feet of the master
The tools of Hues Libergier, Master Mason of the Thirteenth Century
Chartres cathedral and the rule of geometry
Four ‘identical’ windows
The great western rose of Chartres cathedral
The White Tower, discrepancies were deliberate
Gothic pinnacles
The two geometric layouts for la Sainte-Chapelle
Meaning: The canopy of paradise
The mystery of the great labyrinth, Chartres cathedral
Medieval Astrology: the signs of the Zodiac on the Royal Portal of Chartres cathedral
Changes in architectural symbolism
Economics: What price the cathedrals?; How many built the churches?
Funding the Early Gothic churches of the Paris Basin
Index