Synopsis:
The 11th and 12th century sculpture at Canterbury provides a wider range of sculptural styles than can be found in any English cathedral. Deborah Kahn here traces the development of the Romanesque from its sources in Northern France and its influences from Germany and Italy, and discusses its interaction with indigenous styles. Her argument is based on extensive use of documents and accounts by contemporaries and above all on the impressive array of photographs which fill the book.
From Library Journal:
Canterbury's sculptural decoration from the Norman conquest to Becket, roughly 1066-1180, is examined in this detailed survey, which helps to dispel the common belief that English Romanesque sculpture was inferior to that of the Continent. Since Normanization, the Cathedral Priory of Christ Church, Canterbury has held an unrivaled status as the primacy of all England. Its well-preserved Romanesque carvings are divided into four phases, which coincide with the terms of its early archbishops. Eight color plates and 278 black-and-white photos complement the text. Kahn (art history, Princeton) was a consultant on sculpture to the Dean and Chapter of Canterbury from 1982 to 1988. While the book is intended for a scholarly audience, general readers will appreciate the inventive imagery, the versatile ornamentation, and the impressive skills of these Romanesque craftsmen.
- Russell T. Clement, Brigham Young Univ. Lib., Provo, Utah
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.
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