Amiens Cathedral.

Text and Illustrations from Wikipedia - the free encyclopaedia,
unless otherwise stated.

English: Amiens Cathedral, Somme, Picardie, France. The chancel.

Français: Notre-Dame d'Amiens, Somme, Picardie, France. Le chœur.

Photo: 2 September 2008.

Source: Own work.

Author: Tango7174.

(Wikimedia Commons)

The Cathedral of Our Lady of Amiens (French: Cathédrale Notre-Dame d'Amiens), or, simply, Amiens Cathedral, is a Roman Catholic Cathedral and Seat of the Bishop of Amiens. It is situated on a slight ridge overlooking the River Somme, in Amiens, the administrative capital of the Picardy region of France, some 120 kilometres (75 miles) North of Paris.

Mediaeval Cathedral builders were trying to maximise the internal dimensions, in order to reach for the heavens and bring in more light. In that regard, Amiens Cathedral is the tallest complete Cathedral in France, its Stone-Vaulted Nave reaching an internal height of 42.30 metres (138.8 ft) (surpassed only by the incomplete Beauvais Cathedral). It also has the greatest interior volume of any French Cathedral, estimated at 200,000 cubic metres (260,000 cu yd).

The Cathedral was built between 1220 and 1270 and has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1981. Although it has lost most of its original Stained Glass, Amiens Cathedral is renowned for the quality and quantity of early 13th-Century Gothic sculpture in the main West Façade and the South Transept Portal, and a large quantity of polychrome sculpture from later periods inside the building.

English: Amiens (Somme - France). 

Facade of the Cathedral of Our Lady of Amiens (1220-1269).

Français: Amiens (Somme - France), 

façade de la cathédrale Notre-Dame d'Amiens (1220-1269).

Deutsch: Amiens (Département Somme - Frankreich), 

die fassade von die (Kathedrale Notre Dame d’Amiens (1220-1269).

Español: Amiens (Somme (departamento) - Francia), 

la fachada de la Catedral de Notre-Dame de Amiens (1220-1269).

Nederlands: Amiens (Somme - Frankrijk), de gevel 

Kathedrale basiliek van Onze-Lieve-Vrouw (1220-1269).

Русский: Амьен (Сомма (департамент) - Франция), 

фасад Амьенский собор (1220-1269).

中文: 亞眠(索姆省 - 法国), 亚眠主教座堂 (1220-1269).

Photo: 23 July 2012.

Source: Own work.

Author: Jean-Pol GRANDMONT.

(Wikimedia Commons)

The lack of documentation, concerning the construction of the Gothic Cathedral, may be, in part, the result of fires that destroyed the Chapter archives in 1218 and, again, in 1258 - a fire that damaged the Cathedral itself. Bishop Evrard de Fouilloy initiated work on the Cathedral in 1220. Robert de Luzarches was the architect until 1228, and was followed by Thomas de Cormont, until 1258. His son, Renaud de Cormont, acted as the architect until 1288. The chronicle of Corbie gives a completion date for the Cathedral of 1266. Finishing works continued, however. Its floors are covered with a number of designs, such as the Bent Cross (to symbolise Jesus' triumph over death). The Labyrinth was installed in 1288. The Cathedral contains the alleged head of John the Baptist, a relic brought from Constantinople by Wallon de Sarton as he was returning from the Fourth Crusade.

The construction of the Cathedral at this period can be seen as resulting from a coming together of necessity and opportunity. The destruction of earlier buildings and attempts at rebuilding, by fire, forced the fairly rapid construction of a building that, consequently, has a good deal of artistic unity. The long and relatively peaceful reign, of Louis IX of France, brought a prosperity to the region, based on thriving agriculture and a booming cloth trade, that made the investment possible. The great Cathedrals of Reims and Chartres are roughly contemporary.

The original design of the Flying Buttresses, around the Choir, had them placed too high to counteract the force of the Ceiling Arch pushing outwards, resulting in excessive lateral forces being placed on the vertical Columns. The structure was only saved when, centuries later, masons placed a second row of more robust Flying Buttresses that connected lower down on the outer wall. This fix failed to counteract similar issues with the lower wall, which began to develop large cracks around the late Middle Ages. This was solved by another patch, that consisted of a wrought iron bar chain being installed around the Mezzanine Level, to resist the forces pushing the Stone Columns outward. The chain was installed red hot to act as a cinch, tightening as it cooled.

Amiens Cathedral.

View from the North, with 

Flying Buttresses and Fleche (Central Spire).

This File: 3 August 2007.

Source: based on http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Image:

Cath%C3%A9drale_d%27AMIENS_0606.JPG by User:VincentdeMorteau.

Author: photographed by User:VincentdeMorteau, cropped by MathKnight.

(Wikimedia Commons)

The West Front of the Cathedral, built in a single campaign, 1220 – 1236, shows an unusual degree of artistic unity; its Lower Tier, with three vast deep Porches, is capped with the Gallery of twenty-two over-life-size Kings, which stretches across the entire façade beneath the Rose Window. Above the Rose Window, there is an Open Arcade, the galerie des sonneurs. Flanking the Nave, the two Towers were built without close regard to the former design, the South Tower being finished in 1366, the North Tower, reaching higher, in 1406.

English: Our Lady of Amiens Cathedral

(Notre-Dame d'Amiens), France.

The Nave, seen from the Triforium.

Français: Cathédrale Notre-Dame d'Amiens, 

nef vue du triforium.

Photo: 25 January 2008.

Source: Own work.

Author: Eusebius (Guillaume Piolle).

(Wikimedia Commons)

The Western Portals of the Cathedral are justly famous for their elaborate sculpture, featuring a Gallery of locally-important Saints and large eschatological scenes. Statues of Saints, in the Portal of the Cathedral, have been identified as including the locally-venerated Saints Victoricus and Gentian, Saint Domitius, Saint Ulphia, and Saint Fermin. The Spire, over the Central Crossing, was added between 1529 and 1533.

During the process of laser cleaning in the 1990s, it was discovered that the Western Façade of the Cathedral was originally painted in multiple colours. A technique was perfected to determine the exact make-up of the colours as they were applied in the 13th-Century. Then, in conjunction with the laboratories of EDF and the expertise of the Society Skertzò, elaborate lighting techniques were developed to project these colours directly on the façade with precision, recreating the polychromatic appearance of the 13th-Century.

Amiens Cathedral 

(Cathédrale Notre-Dame d'Amiens), France.

The Last Judgment Tympanum.

Photo: 9 January 2008.

Source: Own work.

Author: Mattana.

(Wikimedia Commons)

When projected on the statues around the Portals, the result is a stunning display that brings the figures to life. The projected colours are faint to photograph, but a good quality DSLR camera will provide excellent results, as shown below.

The full effect of the colour may be best appreciated by direct viewing, with musical accompaniment, which can be done at the Son et lumière shows, which are held on Summer evenings, during the Christmas Fair, and over the New Year.

Amiens Cathedral

(Cathédrale Notre-Dame d'Amiens), France.

Son et lumière, July 2007.

This File: 9 January 2008.

Source: Own work.

Author: Mattana.

(Wikimedia Commons)

Amiens Cathedral

(Cathédrale Notre-Dame d'Amiens), France.

Son et lumière, July 2007.

This File: 9 January 2008.

Source: Own work.

Author: Mattana.

(Wikimedia Commons)

Amiens Cathedral

(Cathédrale Notre-Dame d'Amiens), France.

Son et lumière, July 2007.

This File: 9 January 2008.

Source: Own work.

Author: Mattana.

(Wikimedia Commons)

Amiens Cathedral contains the largest Mediaeval Interior in Western Europe, supported by 126 Pillars. Both the Nave and the Chancel are vast, but extremely light, with considerable amounts of Stained Glass surviving, despite the depredations of war.

The Ambulatory, surrounding the Choir, is richly decorated with polychrome sculpture and flanked by numerous Chapels. One of the most sumptuous is the Drapers' Chapel. The cloth industry was the most dynamic component of the Mediaeval economy, especially in Northern France, and the cloth merchants were keen to display their wealth and civic pride. Another striking Chapel is dedicated to Saint Thomas of Canterbury, a 13th-Century dedication that complements the Cathedral's own very full list of Martyrs.

The Interior contains works of art and decoration from every period since the building of the Cathedral.

Amiens Cathedral 

(Cathédrale Notre-Dame d'Amiens), France.

The Portals on the West Front.

Photo: 9 January 2008.

Source: Own work.

Author: Mattana.

(Wikimedia Commons)

The initial impetus for the building of the Cathedral came from the installation of the reputed head of John the Baptist on 17 December 1206. The head was part of the loot of the Fourth Crusade, which had been diverted from campaigning against the Turks, to sacking the great Christian city of Constantinople. A sumptuous Reliquary was made to house the skull. Although later lost, a 19th-Century replica still provides a focus for Prayer and meditation in the North Aisle.

Some of the most important works of art are sequences of polychrome sculpture, dating mainly from the Late-15th-Century and the 16th-Century. A large sequence, in the North Transept, illustrates Jesus' Cleansing of the Temple, with imaginative tableaux of the Temple. Both sides of the Ambulatory are lined with sequences illustrating the lives of the two Saints, whose cults brought large numbers of pilgrims to the Cathedral, John the Baptist and Saint Firmin, the first Bishop of Amiens. The artists took care to create a parallelism in the telling of the stories: Both Saints, decapitated for offending the rich and powerful, suffer neglect and loss, until a later generation discovers their Relics and houses them fittingly.

The Baroque Pulpit, constructed of marble and gilded wood, dominates the Nave of the Cathedral. It is supported by three allegorical female figures, apparently representing Faith, Hope and Charity, the three Theological Virtues.

Amiens Cathedral

(Cathédrale Notre-Dame d'Amiens), France.

Photo: 9 January 2008.

Source: Own work.

Author: Mattana.

(Wikimedia Commons)

English: Amiens Cathedral

Chapel of Notre Dame du Puy. The statue on the left, Saint Genevieve, 

was transformed into a goddess of Reason during the French Revolution.

Français: Amiens Cathedral (Cathédrale Notre-Dame d'Amiens), France. Chapelle de Notre-Dame du Pilier Rouge ou de Notre-Dame de Puy; oeuvre de Nicolas Blasset, offerte en 1627 

par Antoine Pingre, maître de la Confrérie du Puy. En haut: la Vierge tirant un enfant d'un puits, entre David et Salomon. En bas, de gauche à droite: Sainte Geneviève, par Cressent 

(qui remplace l'Esther de N. Blasset, détruite à la Révolution), l'Assomption de la Vierge 

par François Francken le Jeune (1628), Judith tenant la tête d'Holopherne.

Photo: 8 January 2008.

Source: Own work.

Author: Mattana.

(Wikimedia Commons)

In the book "Mr Standfast", John Buchan has his character, Richard Hannay, describe the Cathedral as being "the noblest Church that the hand of man ever built only for God."

The Cathedral was featured in the video game "Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem". In the game, it first appeared as a Chapel, in the final year of Charlemagne's reign; it later appeared during the height of the Spanish Inquisition. Lastly, it was used as a hospital for injured soldiers during World War One.

Amiens Cathedral

(Cathédrale Notre-Dame d'Amiens), France.

Photo: 8 January 2008.

Source: Own work.

Author: Mattana.

(Wikimedia Commons)

English: Amiens Cathedral, France.

The Northern Rose Window.

Français: Rosace nord de la cathédrale 

Notre-Dame d'Amiens, France.

Photo: 8 January 2008.

Source: Own work.

Author: Mattana.

(Wikimedia Commons)

The Cathedral was featured in an episode of the PBS science show "NOVA", as an example of design flaws that now threaten the structural integrity of Gothic Cathedrals. In this case, improperly installed Flying Buttresses have resulted in the main supports bowing outwards over time. Measurements indicate that the structure's walls were built to a height of 144 units, echoing a statement in the Book of Revelation that the walls of heaven's mansions would be 144 cubits high.

The 1979 album "Winter Songs" by Art Bears, comprises fourteen short songs composed by Fred Frith, around texts by Chris Cutler, that were based on carvings on the dado of the Cathedral's West Façade.

Gothic (Part Six).

Text and Illustrations from Wikipedia - the free encyclopaedia,
unless otherwise stated.

Bristol Cathedral, England.

Cathedral Church of the Holy and Undivided Trinity.

[Editor: A new Nave, harmonious in style with the Eastern End, 

was added between 1868 and 1877 by George Edmund Street.]

The unique "Lierne" Vaulting of the Choir and Tower 

can be seen here from Street's Nave, 

with clustered Columns and Purbeck Marble Shafts.

Photo: April 2005.

Source: Own work.

Author: Adrian Pingstone Arpingstone.

(Wikimedia Commons)

The Depressed, or Four-Centred Arch, is much wider than its height and gives the visual effect of having been flattened under pressure. Its structure is achieved by drafting two arcs, which rise steeply from each springing point on a small radius, and then turn into two Arches, with a wide radius and much lower springing point.

This type of Arch, when employed as a window opening, lends itself to very wide spaces, provided it is adequately supported by many narrow vertical Shafts. These are often further braced by horizontal Transoms. The overall effect produces a grid-like appearance of regular, delicate, rectangular forms with an emphasis on the perpendicular. It is also employed as a wall decoration, in which Arcade and window openings form part of the whole decorative surface.

The Gloucester Cathedral Cloisters 

are the earliest surviving Fan Vaults, 

having been constructed in the Mid-14th-Century. 

The Cloisters were used in several of the Harry Potter films.

Photo: 29 August 2013.

Source: Own work.

Author: Saffron Blaze.

Permission: Outside of Wikimedia Foundation projects, 

attribution is to be made to:

W. Lloyd MacKenzie, via Flickr @ 

http://www.flickr.com/photos/saffron_blaze/.

(Wikimedia Commons)

The style, known as Perpendicular, that evolved from this treatment, is specific to England, although very similar to contemporary Spanish style in particular, and was employed to great effect through the 15th-Century and first half of the 16th-Century, as Renaissance styles were much slower to arrive in England than in Italy and France.

It can be seen notably at the East End of Gloucester Cathedral, where the East Window is said to be as large as a tennis court. There are three very famous Royal Chapels and one Chapel-like-Abbey which show the style at its most elaborate: King's College Chapel, Cambridge; Saint George's Chapel, Windsor; Henry VII's Chapel at Westminster Abbey; and Bath Abbey. However, very many simpler buildings, especially Churches built during the Wool boom in East Anglia, are fine examples of the style.

King's College Chapel, 

Cambridge, England.

Photo: 4 July 2012.

Source: Own work.

Author: Antoine Tavenaux.

(Wikimedia Commons)

The Gothic Cathedral represented the Universe, in microcosm, and each architectural concept, including the loftiness and huge dimensions of the structure, were intended to convey a Theological message: The great glory of God. The building becomes a microcosm in two ways: Firstly, the mathematical and geometrical nature of the construction is an image of the orderly Universe, in which an underlying rationality and logic can be perceived;

Secondly, the Statues, sculptural decoration, Stained Glass and murals incorporate the essence of Creation, in depictions of the Labours of the Months, and the Zodiac, and Sacred History from the Old and New Testaments and Lives of the Saints, as well as reference to the Eternal in the Last Judgment and Coronation of the Virgin.

The decorative schemes usually incorporated Biblical stories, emphasising visual typological allegories between Old Testament Prophecy and the New Testament.

English: Chapter House of Westminster Abbey, London. 14th-Century Wall Paintings.

Deutsch: Wandmalereien im Kapitelhaus der Westminster Abbey London.

Photo: 27 September 2012.

Source: Own work.

Author: Klaus D. Peter, Wiehl, Germany.

(Wikimedia Commons)

Many Churches were very richly decorated, both inside and out. Sculpture and architectural details were often bright, with coloured paint, of which traces remain at the Cathedral of Chartres. Wooden ceilings and panelling were usually brightly coloured. Sometimes, the Stone Columns of the Nave were painted, and the panels in decorative Wall Arcading contained narratives or figures of Saints. These have rarely remained intact, but may be seen at the Chapter House of Westminster Abbey.

Some important Gothic Churches could be severely simple, such as the Basilica of Mary Magdalene, in Saint-Maximin, Provence, France, where the local traditions of the sober, massive, Romanesque architecture were still strong.

Gloucester Cathedral, England,

lit by the setting Sun.

Photo: 4 May 2011.

Source: Own work.

Author: Saffron Blaze.

Permission: Outside of Wikimedia Foundation projects, 

attribution is to be made to:

W. Lloyd MacKenzie, via Flickr @ 

http://www.flickr.com/photos/saffron_blaze/

(Wikimedia Commons)

Wherever Gothic architecture is found, it is subject to local influences, and frequently the influence of itinerant stonemasons and artisans, carrying ideas between cities and sometimes between countries. Certain characteristics are typical of particular regions and often override the style itself, appearing in buildings hundreds of years apart.

The distinctive characteristic of French Cathedrals, and those in Germany and Belgium that were strongly influenced by them, is their height and their impression of verticality. Each French Cathedral tends to be stylistically unified in appearance, when compared with an English Cathedral, where there is great diversity in almost every building. They are compact, with slight or no projection of the Transepts and subsidiary Chapels. The West Fronts are highly consistent, having three Portals, surmounted by a Rose Window, and two large Towers. Sometimes, there are additional Towers on the Transept Ends. The East End is polygonal, with Ambulatory and, sometimes, a Chevette of Radiating Chapels. In the South of France, many of the major Churches are without Transepts and some are without Aisles.

English: Amiens Cathedral, Somme, Picardie, France. The Chancel.

Français: Notre-Dame d'Amiens, Somme, Picardie, France. Le chœur.

Photo: 2 September 2008.

Source: Own work.

Author: Tango7174.

(Wikimedia Commons)

The distinctive characteristic of English Cathedrals is their extreme length, and their internal emphasis upon the horizontal, which may be emphasised visually, as much, or more than, the vertical lines. Each English Cathedral (with the exception of Salisbury Cathedral) has an extraordinary degree of stylistic diversity, when compared with most French, German and Italian Cathedrals. 

It is not unusual for every part of the building to have been built in a different century, and in a different style, with no attempt at creating a stylistic unity. Unlike French Cathedrals, English Cathedrals sprawl across their sites, with Double Transepts projecting strongly, and Lady Chapels tacked on at a later date. 

In the West Front, the doors are not as significant as in France, the usual congregational entrance being through a Side Porch. The West Window is very large and never a Rose Window, which are reserved for the Transept Gables. The West Front may have two Towers, like a French Cathedral, or none. There is nearly always a Tower at The Crossing and it may be very large and surmounted by a Spire. The distinctive English East End is square, but it may take a completely different form. Both Internally and Externally, the stonework is often richly decorated with carvings, particularly the Capitals.

English: Avranches Cathedral, France.

Français: Église Notre-Dame-des-Champs, Avranches, France.

Photo: 17 April 2011.

Source: Own work.

Author: Mattana.

(Wikimedia Commons)

English: Avranches Cathedral, France.

Français: Église Notre-Dame-des-Champs, Avranches, France.

Photo: 17 April 2011.

Source: Own work.

Author: Mattana.

(Wikimedia Commons)

Romanesque architecture in Germany, Poland, The Czech Republic, and Austria, is characterised by its massive and modular nature. This is expressed in the Gothic architecture of Central Europe in the huge size of the Towers and Spires, often projected, but not always completed.

The West Front generally follows the French formula, but the Towers are very much taller, and, if complete, are surmounted by enormous Openwork Spires that are a regional feature. Because of the size of the Towers, the section of the façade that is between them may appear narrow and compressed. 

The Eastern End follows the French form. The distinctive character of the Interior of German Gothic Cathedrals is their breadth and openness. This is the case even when, as at Cologne Cathedral, they have been modelled upon a French Cathedral. German Cathedrals, like the French, tend not to have strongly projecting Transepts. There are also many Hall Churches (Hallenkirchen) without Clerestory windows.

PART SEVEN FOLLOWS.

Miserere Mei Deus (Psalm 50). Gregorio Allegri (1582 - 1652).

Text and Illustration from Wikipedia - the free encyclopaedia,
unless otherwise stated.

Gregorio Allegri Romano, Italian composer.

Creator: Caldwall, James, 1739-1819.

Engraver: Aquila, Francesco Faraone (1676 - 1740).

Medium: Etching.

Source: http://digitalgallery.nypl.org/nypldigital/dgkeysearchdetail.cfm?

(Wikimedia Commons)

Miserere Mei Deus,

by

Gregorio Allegri

(1582 - 1652).

Available on YouTube

at

http://youtu.be/Psf5Cqjpt7I.

Miserere, (full title: Miserere mei, Deus, Latin for "Have mercy on me, O God") by Italian composer Gregorio Allegri, is a setting of Psalm 51 (50) composed during the reign of Pope Urban VIII, probably during the 1630s, for use in the Sistine Chapel during matins, as part of the exclusive Tenebrae service on Holy Wednesday and Good Friday of Holy Week.

The Miserere is written for two choirs, one of five voices and one of four voices, and is an example of Renaissance polyphony surviving to the present day. One of the choirs sings a simple version of the original Miserere chant; the other, spatially separated, sings an ornamented "commentary" on this. The piece is an example of the stile antico or prima pratica; however, its constant use of the dominant seventh chord and its emphasis on polychoral techniques certainly put it out of the range of prima pratica; a more accurate comparison would be to the works of Giovanni Gabrieli.

The Tenebrae service, where the Miserere would be sung, normally began at around 3 a.m. During the ritual, candles would be extinguished one by one, save for the last candle, which remained alight and was then hidden. Allegri composed his setting of the Miserere for the final act within the first Lesson of the Tenebrae service.

Salamanca Cathedral. The Old Cathedral.

Text and Illustrations from Wikipedia - the free encyclopaedia,
unless otherwise stated.

"Torre del Gallo" of the 

Romanesque Old Cathedral 

of Salamanca, Spain.

Photo: 15 October 2006.

Source: Flickr.

Author: chicadelatele.

(Wikimedia Commons)

English: View of Salamanca, Spain. 

The Old Cathedral is on the left. The New Cathedral is on the right.

Español: Vista de la ciudad Salamanca desde el parador de turismo.

Photo: 16 April 2008.

Source: flickr: Salamanca.

Author: Alejandro Flores from Sevilla, Spain.

(Wikimedia Commons)

The Old Cathedral (Spanish: Catedral Vieja de Santa María) is one of two Cathedrals in Salamanca, Spain, the other being the New Cathedral of Salamanca.

It was founded by Bishop Jerome of Périgord, in the 12th-Century and completed in Romanesque/Gothic style in the 14th-Century. It is dedicated to Santa Maria de la Sede (Saint Mary of the See).

The Apse houses a large Cycle of fifty-three Tablets, twelve of which are by the 15th-Century Italian artist, Dello Delli, depicting the life of Jesus and the Virgin Mary. A fresco of the Final Judgement is over them. Juan Francés de Iribarren was organist at the Old Cathedral in 1717–1733.

Español: Retablo de la catedral Vieja de Salamanca (España) de 1430-1450. Las obras principales corresponden al artista Italiano Daniel Delli, más conocido como Dello Delli, a él corresponden las 12 primeras tablas, que son sin duda las que mayor calidad tienen. El retablo presenta un ciclo de la vida de la Vírgen María y de Jesucristo. El retablo está presidido por una imagen conocida como la Virgen de la Vega, patrona de la ciudad.

English: Altarpiece in the Old Cathedral of Salamanca, Spain, circa 1430-1450. The works 

are by the Italian artist, Daniel Delli, better known as Dello Delli. The first 12 Tablets 

belong to him and have the best quality. The Altarpiece shows a Cycle in the life of 

the Virgin Mary and Jesus Christ. This Altarpiece is lead by an image, known as 

the Virgin of the Vega, Patron of the city of Salamanca.

Photo: November 2004.

Source: Own work.

Author: Lourdes Cardenal.

(Wikimedia Commons)

The Old Cathedral, Salamanca, Spain.

Photo: 4 July 2009.

Source: Own work.

Author: NVZ2013.

(Wikimedia Commons)

Sebastian de Vivanco's "O Rex Gloriae".
Depicting The Old Cathedral at Salamanca, Spain.

Available on YouTube at http://youtu.be/w1uF1hWEiOY

Salamanca Old Cathedral.
A video tour.
Available on YouTube
at
http://youtu.be/etdZtkey8hY.

Hymn Of The Cherubim. Tchaikovsky.

Text and Illustrations from Wikipedia - the free encyclopaedia,

unless otherwise stated.

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky

(1840-1893).

Published: 1906.

Source: Tchaikovsky By Edwin Evans, 

Published by J.M. Dent & Co. in London 

and E.P. Dutton & Co. in New York, 1906. 

Portrait from frontispiece.

Author: Unknown.

(Wikimedia Commons)

Hymn of the Cherubim.

by

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky

(1840-1893).

Available on YouTube 

at

https://youtu.be/_qSUB2Z8NVs

Gothic (Part Five).

Text and Illustrations from Wikipedia - the free encyclopaedia,
unless otherwise stated.

Sainte Chapelle, Paris, France.

Photo: 14 October 2005.

Source: Own work.

Author: Didier B (Sam67fr).

(Wikimedia Commons)

The façade of a large Church or Cathedral, often referred to as the West Front, is generally designed to create a powerful impression on the approaching worshipper, demonstrating both the might of God and the might of the institution that it represents. One of the best known, and most typical of such façades, is that of Notre Dame de Paris.

Central to the façade is the main Portal, often flanked by additional doors. In the Arch of the door, the Tympanum, is often a significant piece of sculpture, most frequently Christ in Majesty and Judgment Day. If there is a central Door Jamb, or a Trumeau, then it frequently bears a statue of the Madonna and Child. There may be much other carving, often of figures in Niches set into the mouldings around the Portals, or in sculptural screens extending across the façade.

Facade of Orvieto Cathedral, Italy.

Photo: 14 September 2009.

Source: Own work.

Author: Adonovan0.

(Wikimedia Commons)

Above the main Portal, there is generally a large window, like that at York Minster, or a group of windows, such as those at Ripon Cathedral. In France, there is generally a Rose Window, like that at Reims Cathedral. Rose Windows are also often found in the façades of Churches of Spain and Italy, but are rarer elsewhere and are not found on the façades of any English Cathedrals. The gable is usually richly decorated with Arcading or sculpture, or, in the case of Italy, may be decorated with the rest of the façade, with polychrome marble and mosaic, as at Orvieto Cathedral.

English: Notre-Dame de Paris. 

South facade. View from the River Seine.

Italiano: La cattedrale di Notre Dame de Paris vista dalla Senna.

Photo: 28 April 2009.

Source: Zuffe.

(Wikimedia Commons)

The West Front of a French Cathedral, and many English, Spanish and German Cathedrals, generally have two Towers, which, particularly in France, express an enormous diversity of form and decoration. However, some German Cathedrals have only one Tower, located in the middle of the façade (such as Freiburg Minster, Germany).

The way in which the Pointed Arch was drafted and utilised developed throughout the Gothic period. There were fairly clear stages of development, which did not, however, progress at the same rate, or in the same way in every country. Moreover, the names used to define various periods or styles, within the Gothic, differ from country to country.

The simplest shape is the long opening with a Pointed Arch, known in England as the Lancet. Lancet openings are often grouped, usually as a cluster of three or five. Lancet openings may be very narrow and steeply pointed. Lancet Arches are typically defined as two-centered Arches whose radii are larger than the Arch's span.

Windows in the Chapter House at York Minster show the

Equilateral Arch with typical circular motifs in the Tracery.

Photo: 19 December 2003.

Source: Own work.

Author: Andy Barrett (User:Big Smooth).

(Wikimedia Commons)

Salisbury Cathedral is famous for the beauty and simplicity of its Lancet Gothic, known in England as the Early English Style. York Minster has a group of Lancet Windows each fifty feet high and still containing ancient glass. They are known as the Five Sisters. These simple undecorated grouped windows are found at Chartres Cathedral and Laon Cathedral and are used extensively in Italy.

Many Gothic openings are based upon the Equilateral form. In other words, when the Arch is drafted, the radius is exactly the width of the opening, and the centre of each Arch coincides with the point from which the opposite Arch springs. This makes the Arch higher, in relation to its width, than a semi-circular Arch, which is exactly half as high as it is wide.

The Equilateral Arch gives a wide opening of satisfying proportion, useful for doorways, decorative Arcades and large windows.

The Depressed Arch, supported by Fan Vaulting, 

at King's College Chapel, England.

Photo: July 2005.

Source: Own work.

Author: Agnete.

(Wikimedia Commons)

The structural beauty of the Gothic Arch means, however, that no set proportion had to be rigidly maintained. The Equilateral Arch was employed as a useful tool, not as a Principle of Design. This meant that narrower or wider Arches were introduced into a building Plan, wherever necessity dictated. In the architecture of some Italian cities, notably Venice, semi-circular Arches are interspersed with Pointed Arches.

The Equilateral Arch lends itself to filling with Tracery of simple equilateral, circular and semi-circular forms. The type of Tracery that evolved, to fill these spaces, is known in England as Geometric Decorated Gothic, and can be seen to splendid effect at many English and French Cathedrals, notably Lincoln Cathedral and Notre Dame Cathedral, in Paris. Windows of complex design, and of three or more Lights, or vertical sections, are often designed by overlapping two or more Equilateral Arches.

The Flamboyant Arch is one that is drafted from four points, the upper part of each main arc turning upwards into a smaller arc and meeting at a sharp, flame-like point. These Arches create a rich and lively effect when used for Window Tracery and surface decoration. The form is structurally weak and has very rarely been used for large openings, except when contained within a larger and more stable Arch. It is not employed at all for Vaulting.

Flamboyant Window Tracery 

at Limoges Cathedral, France.

Photo: 2005.

Source: Own work.

Author: TTaylor.

(Wikimedia Commons)

English: Limoges Cathedral, France.

Français: Vue nocturne de la cathédrale Saint-Étienne de Limoges,

Haute-Vienne, France.

Photo: 20 December 2009.

Source: Own work.

Author: Babsy.

(Wikimedia Commons)

Some of the most beautiful and famous Traceried Windows of Europe employ this type of Tracery. It can be seen at St Stephen's Vienna, Sainte Chapelle in Paris, at the Cathedrals of Limoges and Rouen, in France, and at Milan Cathedral, in Italy. In England, the most famous examples are the West Window of York Minster, with its design based on the Sacred Heart, the extraordinarily-rich seven-light East Window at Carlisle Cathedral and the exquisite East Window of Selby Abbey.

Doorways, surmounted by Flamboyant mouldings, are very common in both ecclesiastical and domestic architecture in France. They are much rarer in England. A notable example is the doorway to the Chapter Room at Rochester Cathedral, Kent, England.

The style was much used in England for Wall Arcading and Niches. Prime examples are in the Lady Chapel at Ely Cathedral, the Screen at Lincoln Cathedral, and externally on the façade of Exeter Cathedral. In German and Spanish Gothic architecture, it often appears as Openwork Screens on the exterior of buildings. The style was used to rich, and sometimes extraordinary, effect in both these countries, notably on the famous pulpit in Vienna Cathedral.

PART SIX FOLLOWS.

Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque, V.H.M. Virgin. Feast Day 17 October.

Text and Illustrations from Wikipedia - the free encyclopaedia,
unless otherwise stated.

Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque, V.H.M..
Virgin.
Feast Day 17 October.

Double.
White Vestments.

Deutsch: Margaretha Maria Alacoque. Kath. Pfarrkirche St. Gordian und Epimachus, Merazhofen, Stadt Leutkirch im Allgäu, Landkreis Ravensburg. Chorgestühl, 1896, Bildhauer: Peter Paul Metz.

English: Margaret Mary Alacoque. Catholic Parish Church of Saint Gordian and Saint Epimachus, Merazhofen, Germany. Sculptor: Peter Paul Metz, 1896.

Polski: Małgorzata Maria Alacoque. Rzeźba z kościoła parafialnego pw. św. Gordona i Epimachusa w Merazhofen (Niemcy). Autor dzieła: Peter Paul Metz, 1896.

Photo: May 2009.

Source: Own work.

Author: Andreas Praefcke.

(Wikimedia Commons)

Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque, V.H.M. (French: Marguerite-Marie Alacoque) (1647-1690), was a French Roman Catholic Nun and Mystic, who promoted devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus in its modern form [Editor: The Order of the Visitation of Holy Mary (V.H.M.), or the Visitation Order, is a Roman Catholic Religious Order for women. Members of the Order are also known as the Salesian Sisters, or, more commonly, as the Visitandines.]

Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque was born in 1647, in L'Hautecour, France, now part of the Commune of Verosvres, then in the Duchy of Burgundy, the only daughter of Claude Alacoque and Philiberte Lamyn, who had also several sons. From early childhood, Margaret was described as showing intense love for the Blessed Sacrament, and as preferring silence and Prayer to childhood play.

After her First Communion, at the age of nine, she practised in secret severe corporal mortification, until rheumatic fever confined her to bed for four years. At the end of this period, having made a vow to the Blessed Virgin to consecrate herself to Religious Life, she was instantly restored to perfect health. In recognition of this favour, she added the name "Mary" to her Baptismal name of "Margaret". According to her later account of her life, she had visions of Jesus Christ, which she thought were a normal part of human experience, and continued to practice austerity.

English: Apses of the Basilica of Paray-le-Monial, France.

Français: Paray-le-Monial, les apsides.

Photo: 17 August 2007.

Source: Own work.

Author: Jan Sokol.

(Wikimedia Commons)

Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque lost her father at a young age, and the family's assets were held by a relative, who refused to hand them over, plunging her family into poverty. During this time, her only consolation was frequent visits to Pray before the Blessed Sacrament in the local Church. When she was 17, however, the family regained their fortune and her mother encouraged her to go out into society, in the hopes of her finding a suitable husband. Out of obedience, and believing that her childhood vow was no longer binding, she began to accompany her brothers in the social events of her society, attending dances and balls.

One night, however, she returned home, dressed in her finery, from a ball for Carnival, when she experienced a vision of Christ, scourged and bloody, in which He reproached her for her forgetfulness of Him, and of how His Heart was filled with love for her,due to her promise. As a result, she determined to fulfill her vow, and entered, when almost twenty-four years of age, the Visitation Convent at Paray-le-Monial, on 25 May 1671, intending to become a Nun.

Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque was subjected to many trials to prove the genuineness of her vocation. She was "Admitted to Wearing the Religious Habit" on 25 August 1671, but was not allowed to make her "Religious Profession" on the same date of the following year, which would have been normal. Finally, she was admitted to "Profession" on 6 November 1672.

English: Painting of Jesus appearing to Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque.

The Church of San Michele, Cortemilia, Italy.

Italiano: Cortemilia. Chiesa Parrocchiale di San Michele. Rodolfo Morgari:

Santa Margherita Maria Alacoque e la devozione al Sacro Cuore.

Photo: 6 June 2008.

Source: Own work.

Author: User:Giovanni Destefanis.

(Wikimedia Commons)

In this Monastery, Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque received several private revelations of the Sacred Heart, the first on 27 December 1673, and the final one eighteen months later. The visions revealed to her the form of the devotion, the chief features being reception of Holy Communion on the First Friday of each month, Eucharistic Adoration during a "Holy Hour" on Thursdays, and the celebration of the Feast of the Sacred Heart. She stated that, in her vision, she was instructed to spend an hour every Thursday night to meditate on Jesus' Agony in the Garden of Gethsemane. The Holy Hour practice later became widespread among Catholics.

On 27 December 1673, the Feast of Saint John (Apostle and Evangelist), Saint Margaret Mary reported that Jesus permitted her to rest her head upon His Heart, and then disclosed to her the wonders of His love, telling her that He desired to make them known to all Mankind and to diffuse the treasures of His goodness, and that He had chosen her for this work.

Initially, discouraged in her efforts to follow the instruction she had received in her visions, Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque was eventually able to convince her Superior, Mother de Saumaise, of the authenticity of her visions. She was unable, however, to convince a group of Theologians of the validity of her apparitions, nor was she any more successful with many of the Members of her own Community, and suffered greatly at their hands.

English: Painting of Blessed Mary of the Divine Heart, and

Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque, in adoration of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

Deutsch: Andachtsbild: Jesus offenbart sein Herz (Herz Jesu) der sel. 

Maria Droste zu Vischering und der hl. Margaretha Maria Alacoque.

Photo: 4 March 2008.

Source: Own work.

Author: Bremond.

(Wikimedia Commons)

She eventually received the support of Saint Claude de la Colombière, S.J., the Community's Confessor for a time, who declared that the visions were genuine. In 1683, opposition in the Community ended when Mother Melin was elected Superior and named Saint Margaret Mary her Assistant. She later became Novice Mistress, and saw the Monastery observe the Feast of the Sacred Heart, privately, beginning in 1686. Two years later, a Chapel was built at the Basilica of Paray-le-Monial to honour the Sacred Heart. Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque died on 17 October 1690.

After Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque's death, the devotion to the Sacred Heart was fostered by the Jesuits and was the subject of controversies within the Church. The practice was not officially recognised until seventy-five years later.

The discussion of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque's own mission and qualities continued for years. All her actions, her revelations, her spiritual maxims, her teachings regarding the devotion to the Sacred Heart, of which she was the chief exponent, as well as the Apostle, were subjected to the most severe and minute examination, and, finally, the Sacred Congregation of Rites passed a favourable vote on the Heroic Virtues of this "Servant of God".

English: Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque contemplating the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

Italiano: Santa Margherita Maria Alacoque contempla il Sacro Cuore di Gesù.

Polski: Św. Małgorzata Maria Alacoque adoruje Najświętsze Serce Jezusa.

Date: 1765.

Source: Lib-Art.com.

Author: Giaquito Corrado.

(Wikimedia Commons)

In March 1824, Pope Leo XII pronounced her Venerable and, on 18 September 1864, Blessed Pope Pius IX declared her Blessed. When her tomb was Canonically opened in July 1830, two instantaneous cures were recorded to have taken place. Her incorrupt body rests above the Side Altar in the Chapel of the Apparitions, located at the Visitation Monastery in Paray-le-Monial, and many striking blessings have been claimed by pilgrims attracted there from all parts of the world.

Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque was Canonised by Pope Benedict XV in 1920, and, in 1929, her Liturgical Commemoration was included in the General Roman Calendar for celebration on 17 October, the day of her death.

In his 1928 Encyclical, Miserentissimus Redemptor, Pope Pius XI affirmed the Church's position, regarding the credibility of her visions of Jesus Christ, by speaking of Jesus as having "manifested Himself" to Saint Margaret Mary and having "promised her that all those who rendered this honour to His Heart would be endowed with an abundance of Heavenly Graces".

Artist: Antonio Ciseri (1821–1891).

Title: Die Vision des Herzens Jesu der Seligen Marguerite Marie Alacoque.

Date: 1888.

Current location: Florenz, Chiesa del Sacro Cuore, Italy.

Source/Photographer: http://www.kunst-fuer-alle.de/deutsch/kunst/kuenstler/kunstdruck/antonio-ciseri/8632/2/132040/die-vision-des-herzens-jesu-der-seligen-marguerite-marie-alacoque/index.htm.

(Wikimedia Commons)

Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque's short devotional writing, La Devotion au Sacré-Coeur de Jesus (Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus), was published posthumously by J. Croiset in 1698, and has been popular among Catholics.

"And He [Christ] showed me that it was His great desire of being loved by men, and of withdrawing them from the path of ruin, that made Him form the design of manifesting His Heart to men, with all the treasures of Love, of Mercy, of Grace, of Sanctification and Salvation, which it contains, in order that those who desire to render Him and procure Him all the honour and love possible, might themselves be abundantly enriched with those Divine Treasures, of which His Heart is the source." — from Revelations of Our Lord to Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque.

In James Joyce's Short Story, "Eveline", part of his "Dubliners", a "coloured print of the promises made to Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque" is mentioned, as part of the decorations of an Irish home at the turn of the 20th-Century, testifying to Saint Margaret Mary's enduring popularity among Irish Catholics.