Description
"In this masterful study, Hans Jantzen introduces the modern reader to one of the greatest achievements of Western art. The High Gothic cathedrals of Chartres, Reims and Amiens have often been admired and imitated, but they embody the spirit of an age that has rarely been understood. This book's success lies in the marvelous clarity with which it discusses the technical, theological, artistic and social factors that formed the High Gothic synthesis. A lifetime of scholarship is demonstrated by the thoroughness with which Professor Jantzen presents his comparative analysis of the three cathedrals and relates their influence to later developments. The numerous illustrations, the essential details serve to recreate the essence of the High Gothic achievement. Structural characteristics, sculpture and stained glass are all examined by Professor Jantzen with a lucidity that matches his understanding. Equally important is the skill with which the cathedrals are placed in their human context, giving the reader an insight into the role which the Church played in the lives of thirteenth-century men and women. For it was in direct religious experience that the splendor and symbolism of High Gothic art found its ultimate expression." -- Book Jacket.
