The Creation of Gothic Architecture: an Illustrated Thesaurus. The Ark of God. Volume III
Title Details

800 Pages

29.7 x 21 cm

4000 b/w illus.

Series: Creation of Gothic Architecture

Imprint: West Grinstead Publications

The Creation of Gothic Architecture: an Illustrated Thesaurus. The Ark of God. Volume III

B: The Evolution of Foliate Capitals in the Paris Basin: the archaic capitals prior to 1130

by John E. James

  • Description
  • Author
  • Reviews
A further volume in this monumental series on the architecture of the Gothic churches of the Paris Basin.

A complete collection of all the capitals carved in the Paris Basin before 1130 - over 4,000 - few of which have ever been published before. From this has come a profoundly significant analysis: That these carvers pursued what might be called a Quest for Order, a quest that grew into an obsession over the next two generations. By following each step in this quest in the dateable buildings in the rest of Europe, James has dated nearly every campaign in theBasin to within ±5 years - a unique achievement possible only because every one of the 147 remaining works have been included. This holistic approach provides the evidence that pointed arches and rib vaults were both being employed in the Paris Basin from the mid-1080s. Volume 3 in Part B of The Creation of Gothic Architecture: The Ark of God provides valuable insights into the development of Early Romanesque carving and architecture prior to theseminal work at Chartres and Saint-Denis. It complements Part A and, with the later volumes, aims to establish from all the evidence a comprehensive chronology for the Creation of Gothic Architecture.

John James has studied medieval construction for the past 68 years. He practiced as an architect before following his true love of Gothic. Over the years he has published a dozen books and almost a hundred articles and studies, all on the architecture he loves. At the same time he founded and ran the Crucible Centre in the mountains west of Sydney to fulfil his personal longing for the sacred, and it is utterly appropriate that this last book should amalgamate these two strands of his life, hard as it was for him to complete the last chapter

"In this monumental study, James and several collaborators have brought together a formidable resource." .
"The scale of James' enterprise far surpasses any previous attempts at the systematic collection of this type of data, which is why this study is so very useful.[...]These volumes are a fundamental resource for the study of medieval art in northern France, and every library associated with the teaching of medieval art and architecture should have them." SPECULUM

Hardcover

9780959600599

April 2006

Buy

$595.00 / £395.00

Shipping Options

Buy Fewer than 20 copies available

Buy

Purchasing options are not available in this country.

Title Details

800 Pages

2.97 x 2.1 cm

4000 b/w illus.

Series: Creation of Gothic Architecture

Imprint: West Grinstead Publications