One of the amazing things of the twelfth century is that Romanesq architecture, in the form of the Cistercian abbeys, and Gothic architecture, the heavenly cathedrals, were developing at the same time.
Today we visited Sens. We had passed the ton so many times, but it was a mistake. Frits van der Meer, the Dutch art historian, wrote a book ‘Turning point of Middle Ages’. I have a copy of it here in the camper. I read the first pages. Van der Meer is sitting in the cathedral of Sens and realises that this is the beginning of Gothic architecture. Most commonly the building of the cathedral in Saint Denis (Paris) is considered the starting point, but Van der Meer begs to differ.
As far as I understand the main difference between romanesq and gothic architecture is light. With the addition of flying buttresses, builders, in gothic buildings, were able to hollow out walls to create massive windows, mostly stained glass.
This has a beauty in itself. How often have we visited Chartres Cathedral to remind us of its sublime qualities. Every time we would take the tour from the American guy (forgot his name – can not look it up right now) who would explain a few of the miraculous windows, always coming home with new insights in the history of the bible as well as art history. If you can see only one thing in France ever, go to Chartres. It is overwhelmingly beautiful.
But light in a church, how much do you need. I think that’s what Le Corbusier understood when he took the Cistercian Abbey of Le Coronet (Provence) as his example for his church of Ronchamps (If you have plenty of time, visit that).
But then, back to Sens. I took the example of Van der Meer and sat down at the benches in the nave. I was lucky, the organ was playing just like his experience in 1946. And I saw great harmony, the light was filtered beautifully through the impressive, but Van der Meer indicates rightfully, relatively small cathedral.
But this isn’t Chartres, in which league it is, and it ain’t Ronchamp, or Senanque, or Fontenay, or one of those other Cistercian abbeys we are planning to visit these months.
But what it, Sens, is, is an example of visionry, of throwing away the past as the nuisance it often is, as grasping new technology as a possibility to express current thought in a new language, as life being redefined.
At the outside of the cathedral, I understood that flying buttresses were being developped right here. They still look simple and comprehensible. They haven’t started a life of themself, like what has happened in Notre dAme, Canterbury or the Sagrada Famiglia that I recently visited again with Claire.
The flying buttresses of Sens are simple, a kid could draw them – but I didn’t – but they transform the building.
Anyway, enough of art history. as far as I’m concerned this will be the only leap into Goyhic art. Tomorrow waits Pontigny, some real Romanesq and truthfull stuff again.
Maureen O'Brien says
You two are right in the heart of what I do! French monastic & ecclesiastical history… check. The regions you are travel through and too…check. So, I am enjoying your perspective on things. As you have already visited Pontigny and are heading south-ish (I assume), Vézelay is worth a stop (always nice to see some of those Benedictine abbeys Bernard was complaining about). While it is outside your tour time period, there is an amazing 15th c. hospice in Beaune. If you happen to be in or near Dijon on market day (Tues, Fri, or Sat morning), there is a very good market held in and around a market hall designed by Gustave Eiffel (yes, of Eiffel tower fame). Oh, I could go on and on… and I probably will in another post. If I can be of service on things medieval monastic just let me know. What is your general itinerary?