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Evaluating Panofsky’s “Gothic Cathedral as Philosophical Edifice” Position

Evaluating Panofsky’s “Gothic Cathedral as Philosophical Edifice” Position. Neoplatonic theory of light. Scholasticism = visual logic of Gothic church. Erwin Panofsky (1892-1968). I. Panofsky’s Gothic Architecture + Scholasticism thesis .

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Evaluating Panofsky’s “Gothic Cathedral as Philosophical Edifice” Position

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  1. Evaluating Panofsky’s “Gothic Cathedral as Philosophical Edifice” Position

  2. Neoplatonic theory of light Scholasticism = visual logic of Gothic church Erwin Panofsky (1892-1968)

  3. I. Panofsky’s Gothic Architecture + Scholasticism thesis Two “controlling principles” assimilated as “mental habits” by the architects Scholastic thought = Visual logic 1. manifestatio - elucidation or clarification whole parts (partes) smaller partes membra quaestiones(questions) articuli (articles) 2. concordantia (Latin) – reconciliation, pattern for considering problems in relationship to conflicting authority of the past. Question (quaestio) followed by: videtur quod sed contra respondeodicendum Reims Cathedral, Reims, France, 1211-90

  4. I. Panofsky’s Gothic Architecture + Scholasticism thesis 1. Scholastic mental habits best represented in structure of summas Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologica (1265-74) Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologica (1265-74)

  5. 1. Homology between Scholastic thought and graphic composition 1. 11th-century manuscript Scholastic treatise organization 13th century Paleographer Robert Marichal, “L’écriturelatine et la civilisationoccidentale,” in L’écriture et la psychologie des peuples (Paris: A. Colin, 1963), 199-247.

  6. 1. Homology between architecture and scholastic calligraphy 1. Robert Marichal, “L’écriturelatine et la civilisationoccidentale,” in L’écriture et la psychologie des peuples (Paris: A. Colin, 1963), 199-247.

  7. 2. Contrast: Pre-Scholastic habitus vs. Scholastic habitus 1. Autun Cathedral Last Judgment portal, 1130-35 Amiens Cathedral Last Judgment portal, 1220-35

  8. 3. Pre-Scholasticism and Scholasticism on faith and reason (Romanesque vs. Gothic) Romanesque: determinate and impenetrable High Gothic: Delimits interior from exterior Maria Laach Abbey, Germany Cologne Cathedral, Germany

  9. 3. Pre-Scholasticism and Scholasticism on faith and reason (Romanesque vs. Gothic) Romanesque: determinate and impenetrable High Gothic: Interior projected through exterior Maria Laach Abbey, Germany Cologne Cathedral, Germany

  10. 4. Panofsky on Gothic unity 2. Romanesque: variety of subdivisions Gothic: uniform division and subdivision Cluny III

  11. 4. Panofsky on Gothic unity 2. Gothic: uniform division and subdivision Amiens Cathedral

  12. 5. Scholasticism insists on a homologous arrangement of parts and parts of parts 3. Romanesque Cathedral of St.-Lazare Autun, France, 1120-46 Gothic Cologne Cathedral Cologne, Germany, 1248-1322

  13. 5. Scholasticism insists on a homologous arrangement of parts and parts of parts 3. Romanesque Autun Cathedral Gothic Cologne Cathedral

  14. 5. Scholasticism insists on a homologous arrangement of parts and parts of parts 3. Romanesque Autun Cathedral Gothic Cologne Cathedral

  15. 6. Gothic with a tendency toward all too unified space: Late Gothic hall churches 4. Marienkirche, Pirna (near Dresden), Germany, 1502-46, Late Gothic hall church

  16. 6. Gothic with a tendency toward all too unified space: Late Gothic hall churches 4. Marienkirche, Pirna (near Dresden), Germany, 1502-46, Late Gothic hall church photographed with Canon EOS 5D lens

  17. Gothic with a tendency toward unified space: Late Gothic hall churches 4. Marienkirche, Pirna (near Dresden)

  18. 6. Gothic with a tendency toward all too unified space: Late Gothic hall churches 4. Gloucester Cathedral, England Marienkirche, Pirna (near Dresden) nave, 1502-46 choir b. 1337

  19. 6. Gothic with a tendency toward all too unified space: Late Gothic hall churches 4. Marienkirche, Pirna (near Dresden) nave, 1502-46 “wild men” on the flying rib in apse

  20. 7. Scholasticism vs. the ends of the spectrum (illusionism) 5. Images of Soissons Cathedral (France) after WWI – inspired Pol Abraham’s “illusionism”

  21. 7. Scholasticism vs. the ends of the spectrum (structural rationalism) 5. Romanesque Durham (and Caen) began by saying something before being able to do it Gothic Chartres singularitervoluti (Latin) independently vaulted arches

  22. 7. Scholasticism vs. the ends of the spectrum 5. mid 19th cen.: structural rationalism Panofsky: visual logic Pol Abraham: illusionism Soissons Cathedral (France) after WWI Façade of Cologne Cathedral, Germany 1854-68

  23. 7. Scholasticism vs. the ends of the spectrum 6. Scholasticism: cognitive logic demonstrated in summas Panofsky: visual logic (demonstrated in architecture) Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologica (1265-74)

  24. Panofsky’s Gothic Architecture + Scholasticism thesis Two “controlling principles” assimilated as “mental habits” by the architects Scholastic thought = Visual logic 1. manifestatio - elucidation or clarification whole parts (partes) smaller partes membra quaestiones(questions) articuli (articles) 2. concordantia (Latin) – reconciliation, pattern for considering problems in relationship to conflicting authority of the past. Question (quaestio) followed by: videtur quod sed contra respondeodicendum Reims Cathedral, Reims, France, 1211-90

  25. Panofsky’s Gothic Architecture + Scholasticism thesis videtur quod,sed contra,respondeodicendum “it is seen that,” “but on the contrary,” “I answer saying that . . .” concordantia (Latin) – reconciliation, pattern for considering problems in relationship to conflicting authority of the past. Question (quaestio) followed by: videtur quod sed contra respondeodicendum Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologica (1265-74)

  26. 8. Concordantia and confusing and contradictory trends 7. Plans Nôtre-Dame Laon Cathedral Amiens Cathedral

  27. 8. Concordantia and confusing and contradictory trends 7. Laon Cathedral (as planned) Bourges Cathedral Amiens Cathedral

  28. 8. Concordantia and confusing and contradictory trends 7. Early Gothic “reverting back (?) monocylindrical piers” Romanesque St.-Étienne, Caen Nôtre-Dame Laon Cathedral

  29. 9. Concordantia – Sic et non – and the rose window 8. Nôtre-Dame, Paris, south transept 1258-60, by Jean de Chelles St.-Denis, Paris St.-Nicaise, Reims, France façade 1231 (destroyed)

  30. 9. Concordantia – Sic et non – and the rose window 8. France: Strasbourg Cathedral Italy: Cathedral of Assisi, 1140-1253

  31. 9. Concordantia – Sic et non – Rayonnant elevation 9. Reims Cathedral

  32. 9. Concordantia – Sic et non – Rayonnant elevation 9. Reims Cathedral St.-Denis, Paris, nave

  33. 10.

  34. Medieval history and contemporary theory 1979 2005

  35. 20th-century theorists who began education as medievalists: George Bataille Jacques Lacan Pierre Bourdieu Roland Barthes

  36. 1972; Eng. translation 1984

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