Friday, November 06, 2009

A view from the roof at Chartres


This post is strictly for ultra-nerds of Gothic architecture. I recently got this photo of the ‘transitional flying buttress’ between the nave and choir of Chartres Cathedral – something that is not at all easy to do, as the buttress is not visible from the ground but requires access to the cathedral roof. I’d gone up there for other purposes (a Nova documentary on Gothic churches), and so sadly hadn’t come properly prepared to take photos – this one is from my mobile phone, and so is not of high resolution. But I want to put it up here in case anyone else should ever want to use it without the hassle of getting permission to go up on the roof. The structure is significant because it challenges the idea that the nave is older than the choir. The arches of the nave flyers are in a more squat and massive style, with rounded arches, which could be taken as a sign that they were built first, perhaps by a different master, with the slender pointed arches of the choir flyers (more ‘Gothic’, one might say) being added by a later hand. That was the case argued by Louis Grodecki in the 1950s. But this sole ‘transitional’ flying buttress on the east of the transepts seems to be an attempt to merge the different styles of the nave and choir, as though this was part of the plan all along – perhaps, as Jan van der Meulen suggests, the crossing and transepts were built first, and both the nave and choir built out from them at much the same time. All this is discussed in my book Universe of Stone.

11 comments:

Unknown said...

It amazes me that people back then took the time and effort to make things beautiful, even structural elements up on a roof where very few people would be there to see them. How could they have known that people of the future would have cell phone cameras to help the rest of us appreciate their craftsmanship?

Philip Ball said...

They knew, of course, that God's camera was never turned off.
Mind you, one has to take care not to overplay this: the contemporary masons at York Minster assure me that there wasn't a complete aversion to cutting corners...

omnivorist said...

I haven't read your book Universe of Stone (I'm looking forward to doing so) so I trust you'll forgive me if it already covers the following:

The different phases of building Chartres and other cathedrals can be partly understood by recognising that different master masons carried around their own 'personal' units of measure. By analysing the linear dimensions of the cathedral it is possible to group them according to their conformance to a common underlying module (HCF, I suppose). Nice idea. But is it true ?

I recall this from a lecture on Chartres that I heard some years ago. I can't recall who gave it - Keith Critchlow perhaps, but I think it was someone else.

Anonymous said...

Nice, accurate and to the point. Not everyone can provide information with proper flow. Good post. I am going to save the URL and will definitely visit again. Keep it up.
-----------------------------
Dissertation Help

Galliena said...

How were you able to discover that place, Philip? It would be more interesting if you took more photos of it from different angles! Gothic architecture really has a great appeal to people's emotions. Even those who are not into gothic architecture will be suddenly amazed by it, especially if they see it in person.

Galliena Gornet

Unknown said...

Thanks for sharing helpful information..

Dissertationmasters.net

Unknown said...

That's wonderful stuff you've written up here. Been searching for it all around. Great blog.
Uk Coursework Help

Alex said...

This is a great inspiring .I am pretty much pleased with your good work. You put really very helpful information. I am looking to reading your next post.
Paper Writing Service.

Eliaz Beth said...

Likes enormously increase the recognition of the respective webpage and although utilizing the good vary depend; plenty of people today are going to be attracted to your account. The organizations that provide these professional services, likes on instagram will supply you with non-automated or robotic likes and provide you with true Instagram likes. The great issue about this is the fact that these are swiftly delivered on the account in order that you do not need to attend that substantially. And when you are a little small business, rising your Instagram likes might be advantageous.

Fabian Smith said...

Hey Great Comments on this blog. And the Information is also Great. Thanks, for a really nice read. Hamilton Resourcing
Human Resource Solutions UAE
Psychometrics Tests
Psychometrics Test Dubai
Talent Management
Integrity International
Executive Recruitment UAE
The McQuaig Psychometric System
The McQuaig Job Survey
The McQuaig Word Survey
The McQuaig Self-Development Survey
Executive Search Firms in Dubai
Head Hunters Dubai
Executive Recruitment in Dubai
Emirati Talent Management
Executive Headhunters Dubai
Executive Recruitment Dubai
Executive Search Dubai

Unknown said...

Wow amazing stuff I really enjoyed thanks for the amazing stuff.
Workers Compensation
Pain Treatments
Botox Injections
Discography
Epidural Injections
Epidural Lysis Procedure
Facet Blocks
Intercostal Nerve Blocks
Intrathecal Pump Therapy
Intradiscal Electrothermal Therapy
Intercostal Nerve Blocks
Joint Injections
Platelet Rich Plasma
Percutaneous Discectomy
P-STIM
Racz Epidural Neurolysis
Radiofrequency Lesioning
Selective Nerve Root Blocks
Spinal Cord Stimulation
Sympathetic Nerve Blocks
Vertebroplasty
Pain Locations
Arm Pain
Abdominal Pain
Back Pain
Cancer Pain
Chest Wall Pain