Canterbury Cathedral and its Romanesque Sculpture (review)

Short Notices 223 and again copies were committed to bonfires by the authorities in England, only to be copied again and disseminated from the continent. They represent the revival of a tradition of vernacular writing which had not been used systematically in England since the days of Aelfric. To students of Lollardism the notes to the edition are a compendium of historical, theological, and literary information. For students of literature the comprehensive glossary is a bonus. The importance of Lollard texts in the development of English as a m e d i u m for literature should not be underestimated. In that respect, this re-issued edition is particularly valuable. Anne Scott Department of English University of Western Australia Kahn, Deborah, Canterbury Cathedral and its Romanesque Sculpture, London, Harvey Miller, 1991; cloth; pp. 232; 278 b/w plates, 12 colour plates; RRP£125.00. In one of the best books of its kind, Deborah Kahn has presented a wealth material on Canterbury without becoming lost in the isolation of her subject. Yet although she gives a myriad references to contemporary buildings in France and Normandy, particularly to carved capitals that might reinforce her dates, there is little of the political situation which must have profoundly affected construction at Canterbury. The civil war between Stephen and Matilda from the later 1130s to the later 1150s she passes over with 'there was a lull in building activity from 1130 until the middle of the century'. The two little churches at Devizes ordered by Bishop Roger'just before the struggles began are perhaps the last examples of creative thinking for over thirty years. Thereafter churches show little spatial or structural improvements, with no indication that anything was being learned from the continent. Yet during these years Suger built Saint-Denis, the Chartres Royal Portal was completed and flying buttresses were invented. England had withdrawn into its artistic citadel, as few continental masons would cross over to work in the danger zone. And w h y should they while there was so much work available in northern France—none of which entailed any physical risks whatsoever. It is an extraordinary anomaly to find simple cushion capitals being carved in England in the 1180s while in nearby Flanders even the simplest churches had highly decorated foliate capitals. H o w can this be explained save by the political struggles? Even the new Cistercian foundations did little masonry construction until the wars were over. It took the presence of the foreigner William of Sens at Canterbury in the 1170s (and perhaps others not documented), to update the stylistic concepts of the English masons and to break the dull hand of the sombre styles of war. 224 Short Notices Having said this, the omission is not Kahn's alone. It is one of the most unfortunate aspects of art history that its political setting is often relegated to only a slight 'lull'. Having carped enough, I would repeat that this is a very fine book indeed, which is handsomely illustrated and which I have found extremely stimulating. John James Lawsons Long Alley Hartley Vale N S W 2790 Kahn, Deborah, ed., The Romanesque Frieze and its Spectator, London, Harve Miller, 1992; cloth; pp. 232; 117 b / w plates; R.R.P.£120.00. Judged by the title, this collection is only half a success. Amongst a distinguished band of scholars, only Walter Cahn deals seriously with the issue of the spectator, quoting Kant's view that art requires 'disinterested contemplation'. N o Romanesque artist would ask his viewer to be merely 'reflective'. H e savoured his passion, relished the depth of feelings that the mystical flavour of his figures imparted and enticed the viewer into a subjective and certainly not 'disinterested' attentiveness. Elaine Vergnolle discusses the extraordinary Romanesque penchant for slipping odds and ends of sculpture into walls and piers, many of which were carved decades before, to produce a pastiche, as if nothing could be wasted. Perhaps that was the truth. Lech Kalinowski, in discussing the frieze at Malmesbury, compares its horizontal angels with a signed altar in Toulouse, a capital in Moissac, and one of the voussoirs at Vivray. At first sight it may seem...