Teaching Documents by Chris Henige
The Famagusta Project is a sort of case study in the visualization of medieval urban contexts. Be... more The Famagusta Project is a sort of case study in the visualization of medieval urban contexts. Because I have an interest in both medieval architecture and 3D modeling, the circumstances of Famagusta seemed to lend themselves perfectly to an experiment in reconstruction.
Drafts by Chris Henige
Some time ago I received a copy of James’ latest work titled Glory and Tragedy in Notre-Dame d’Ét... more Some time ago I received a copy of James’ latest work titled Glory and Tragedy in Notre-Dame d’Étampes, (hereafter James (2024)), and I am grateful to him for providing it to me. I have a great many concerns about the contents of this book, and I have conveyed some of them to him, and in previous reviews on academia.edu. There is one last issue that has been nagging at me since addressing James’ claims about medieval building, largely because this assumption has infected so much writing on medieval architecture.
A couple of weeks ago I received a copy of James' latest work titled "Glory and Tragedy in Notre-... more A couple of weeks ago I received a copy of James' latest work titled "Glory and Tragedy in Notre-Dame d'Étampes", and I am grateful to him for providing it to me. I have a great many concerns about the contents of this book, and I have conveyed some of them to him. It seems, however, that James wishes to persist in the dissemination of this work, and believe I have an obligation to present my concerns to the public.
This paper addresses whether full ashlar walls are in fact more structurally sound that those con... more This paper addresses whether full ashlar walls are in fact more structurally sound that those constructed of ashlar facings with rubble fill, a typical construction strategy in the middle ages.
A survey of hundreds of medieval churches throughout the Ile-de-France and surrounding areas, und... more A survey of hundreds of medieval churches throughout the Ile-de-France and surrounding areas, undertaken between 2014 and 2017 led to the formulation of some ideas about medieval building practices that may change how we view medieval masons, their practices and the organization of building sites.
This article continues the study of geometry at the abbey church of Saint-Martin-aux-Bois, turnin... more This article continues the study of geometry at the abbey church of Saint-Martin-aux-Bois, turning to the design of the piers and their capitals. As in the earlier articles, adjustments were made which may indicate a change in master mason.
Without slow-setting mortars or shrinkage, there was no need for itinerant masons, and if Robert ... more Without slow-setting mortars or shrinkage, there was no need for itinerant masons, and if Robert Mark is correct, “slow-setting” mortars were not as slow setting as we have been led to believe, and shrinkage was so negligible as to be irrelevant.
The evidence suggests overwhelmingly that a master who used the royal foot of 32.5cm set out the ... more The evidence suggests overwhelmingly that a master who used the royal foot of 32.5cm set out the building and supervised the construction of the choir up to the level of the triforium floor. From that point, the Roman foot of 29.5cm dominates, suggesting a change in master. There is no overarching “geometry” underlying either the plan or the elevation of the choir. The predominance of even multiples of either the royal foot or the Roman foot demonstrates this. No geometry could result in so many even numbers. This building was formulated arithmetically from bottom to top.
My work at the abbey church of Saint-Martin-aux-Bois provides a good example of how “geometry” pl... more My work at the abbey church of Saint-Martin-aux-Bois provides a good example of how “geometry” played only a very limited role in the design of the building, and how significant the moldings were in determining the final configuration.
The following is a response to an article John James recently published on academia.edu, titled "... more The following is a response to an article John James recently published on academia.edu, titled "Mortar, measure, masonry: Who created the gothic style?".
This is the third in a series of ongoing observations about a large monastic building at Saint-Ma... more This is the third in a series of ongoing observations about a large monastic building at Saint-Martin-aux-Bois which has a long and complicated building history.
Note: This article is a kind of "thought piece" drafted in an effort to place these ideas into th... more Note: This article is a kind of "thought piece" drafted in an effort to place these ideas into the public eye. Hopefully, it will inspire others to explore these notions further.
Note: This article is a kind of "thought piece" drafted in an effort to place these ideas into th... more Note: This article is a kind of "thought piece" drafted in an effort to place these ideas into the public eye. Hopefully, it will inspire others to explore these notions further. Some time ago I posted a short piece on "The Original Cloister at Saint-Martin-aux-Bois", in which I proposed that the large surviving building to the southwest of the existing choir known as "Le Galata" had originally served as the south range of an earlier cloister that was located to the west of the later 13th-century claustral complex. I stand by that assessment. In this paper I will make a somewhat radical suggestion about this building and its construction history.
In this piece I will discuss the problems I have encountered while trying to “build” the church o... more In this piece I will discuss the problems I have encountered while trying to “build” the church of Saint George of the Latins in Famagusta in a 3D modeling program.
In this piece I will discuss the question of masons and the transmission of ideas in the medieval... more In this piece I will discuss the question of masons and the transmission of ideas in the medieval architecture of Famagusta.
In this piece I will discuss some additional photographic evidence that I have identified that sh... more In this piece I will discuss some additional photographic evidence that I have identified that sheds more light on the discussions presented in Part IV of these “Observations”.
The following is an excerpt from an ongoing study of the Augustinian Abbey of Saint-Martin-aux-Bo... more The following is an excerpt from an ongoing study of the Augustinian Abbey of Saint-Martin-aux-Bois, located 45 miles north of Paris. Time and circumstances have likely eroded all chances of producing a thorough monograph of the abbey as I had intended, and at this point it seems prudent to put forward short pieces on the most interesting discoveries made through my research over the past decades, especially those which add new and previously undiscovered and unpublished information to our understanding of the abbey.
The following is an excerpt from an ongoing study of the Augustinian Abbey of Saint-Martin-aux-Bo... more The following is an excerpt from an ongoing study of the Augustinian Abbey of Saint-Martin-aux-Bois, located 45 miles north of Paris. Time and circumstances have likely eroded all chances of producing a thorough monograph of the abbey as I had intended, and at this point it seems prudent to put forward short pieces on the most interesting discoveries made through my research over the past decades, especially those which add new and previously undiscovered and unpublished information to our understanding of the abbey.
The essence of scholarship is debate. At present, both I and John James are writing series of art... more The essence of scholarship is debate. At present, both I and John James are writing series of articles on the design on the west portals at the cathedral of Chartres. We have very different views, and this is a good thing. There will be areas where we both agree, and where we disagree, and it is important in the effort to reach as a near a version of the "truth" as possible, that we engage in disagreement and see whether we can come to a better "truth". In this spirit, I would like to respond to some aspects of James' most recent posting on academia.edu, a piece titled "Part 6 of the Royal Portal Series", dealing with the lower lintels and plinth geometry. I will soon be uploading the second of my articles which addresses the jambs, from the tops of the plinths to the tops of the abaci. This will include more detailed analysis to support some of the claims I will make below.
The following is an excerpt from an ongoing study of the Augustinian Abbey of Saint-Martin-aux-Bo... more The following is an excerpt from an ongoing study of the Augustinian Abbey of Saint-Martin-aux-Bois, located 45 miles north of Paris. It concerns a certain "Erkenger", identified as an abbot of Saint-Martin-aux-Bois, whose career may be illuminated by a number of documents in the cartulary of Saint-Quentin de Beauvais.
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Teaching Documents by Chris Henige
Drafts by Chris Henige