Report:
The October TASH lecture was given by a new Arts Society lecturer, Emily Chappell, and was on the design and building of Gothic cathedrals in France and the UK. The inspiration came from the Book of Revelations, with the first cathedral that provided a model for all the others being the Basilica of St Denis, now in the Paris suburbs. Emily showed how the designs evolved, via Chartres, Rheims, Wells and others, to bring light into the buildings and focus the worship. When they were built, they were elaborately painted and ornamented inside and out, though the paint has generally faded over the centuries. Many of the examples have been modified over the centuries, and some partially collapsed and were later rebuilt, including at St Denis.
This lecture will consider the aims and motivations of the master masons who built the great Gothic cathedrals of England and France.
We will study several key buildings: their architecture and stained glass, the influence of liturgical practice and religious symbolism on their layout and the importance of light and colour in their interiors. We will look at the technical challenges and how these were overcome by an extraordinary determination to build Heavenly Jerusalem on earth.
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Emily Chappell has taught Art History for the past 20 years. She has lectured to sixth form students, adult groups of parents and colleagues, and has led study tours to various cities in Europe. Her experience lecturing a variety of audiences in terms of ages and interests has shaped her approach in combining scholarship with good humour. She has a degree in Art History and for her Masters at the Courtauld Institute of Art she specialised in the art and architecture of the Medieval period. Her research on the V&A Museum’s Naworth sculptures was awarded a distinction and published in 2007. She lives in the South Downs, loves Dachshunds and the rest of her family.
