Great Cathedrals

Rating:
Summary: Altars to the Holy Roman Empire...and Art
Review: GREAT CATHEDRALS is an elegant and eloquent, impressive large book that addresses in pictures, drawings and well-crafted research the magnificent cathedrals of France, England, Spain, Italy and Germany that represent the finest in Gothic architecture dating from about 1100 AD. Bernhard Schutz knows his architecture and takes the reader on an informed tour of these incredible monuments, explaining with very helpful diagrams the architectural wonders and phenomena of each cathedral. Just when you think you remember the Notre Dame in Paris as being the most exquisite example of European cathedrals, turn the page and study the beauties of the cathedral at Chartres in a way that few other books have captured its majesty. The photographs of the buildings are beautifuly rendered with copious examples of the details such as the stained glass windows, the decor of the columns, and the variety of doors. For readers who are looking for a book about the psychosocial development of the Holy Roman Empire and all the permutations and controversies of the life and times of the architects that surround these monuments, then this is not the history book one would expect. Yet for concise, informed, and inspiring writing about these great cathedrals as art and architectural wonders, it would be difficult to find a more thorough presentation. This book helps us remember that the roots of fine art are in the cathedrals and examining those roots has never been more captivating!

Rating:
Summary: Text? What text? Who needs text?
Review: No bout a-doubt it, the pictures are the star of this show. We get a three or four page long architectural history of each cathedral, a couple of exterior shots, a view down the main sanctuary, and several closeups of various details, statuary, and art. Most of these cathedrals are so wonderful that they could be made the subject of books of their own, of course. But this visual symphony brings us up close and personal with arguably the greatest treasures the European Middle Ages bequeathed to posterity.

The only mild disappointment for me is that not much mention is made of the gigantic lost abbey church of Cluny, which was in the late Romanesque style. One of the better uses of computer imaging these days is the virtual reconstruction of that edifice.

Wonderful books like this are why coffee-tables were invented!

Rating:
Summary: Text? What text? Who needs text?
Review: No bout a-doubt it, the pictures are the star of this show. We get a three or four page long architectural history of each cathedral, a couple of exterior shots, a view down the main sanctuary, and several closeups of various details, statuary, and art. Most of these cathedrals are so wonderful that they could be made the subject of books of their own, of course. But this visual symphony brings us up close and personal with arguably the greatest treasures the European Middle Ages bequeathed to posterity.

The only mild disappointment for me is that not much mention is made of the gigantic lost abbey church of Cluny, which was in the late Romanesque style. One of the better uses of computer imaging these days is the virtual reconstruction of that edifice.

Wonderful books like this are why coffee-tables were invented!

Rating:
Summary: A gorgeous tribute to a towering art form
Review: Probably few other works of man have caused more awed neck-stretching than the Gothic cathedral. In over 400 stunningly illustrated pages, Schutz presents the major cathedrals of France, England, Germany, Italy and Spain. The text is well written and scholarly, but with pictures like these, the text is almost irrelevant. The mind-blowing photographs of Chartres, Notre Dame, Salisbury and the rest, leave us gaping in awe at the magnificence of these buildings and shaking our heads in disbelief at the labor and craftsmanship that went into making them reality, and marveling how mere mortals could have produced such glorious works of art.

Rating:
Summary: A gorgeous tribute to a towering art form
Review: Probably few other works of man have caused more awed neck-stretching than the Gothic cathedral. In over 400 stunningly illustrated pages, Schutz presents the major cathedrals of France, England, Germany, Italy and Spain. The text is well written and scholarly, but with pictures like these, the text is almost irrelevant. The mind-blowing photographs of Chartres, Notre Dame, Salisbury and the rest, leave us gaping in awe at the magnificence of these buildings and shaking our heads in disbelief at the labor and craftsmanship that went into making them reality, and marveling how mere mortals could have produced such glorious works of art.