by Rober Bork, University of Iowa
Frankl's book, first published in 1962, stands as one of the most ambitious single-authored studies of Gothic architecture and its development. It covers all periods and regional styles of Gothic architecture, with at least brief attention to secular buildings, but its real claim to fame is its unusual organization, which frames the development of individual architectural elements and motifs within the larger narrative of Gothic architecture and its supposedly immanent development towards the full expression of its stylistic premises. This approach may seem dated after four decades, but Frankl makes many valuable observations about the character and meaning of Gothic design that make the book well worth reading, even for those sceptical of Frankl's assumptions. Paul Crossley's excellent introductory essay to the new edition of the book usefully places Frankl's work in context, paying due attention to both its strengths and its idiosyncracies. Crossley, moreover, has done a fine job of updating Frankl's text to reflect the findings of recent scholarship, for which he provides a stunningly comprehensive bibliography, perhaps the best overall tool of its kind in the field.
This book is an updated English version of Nussbaum's superb Deutsche Kirchenbaukunst der Gotik, first published in Germany in 1985. Nussbaum casts his net wide, tackling the architectural traditions not only of the territories that comprise modern Germany, but also of the adjacent territories that belonged in the Middle Ages to the Holy Roman Empire. He manages, almost paradoxically, to provide a coherent framework within which to discuss the bewildering diversity of German Gothic architecture defined in this broad sense, while simultaneously demonstrating that cross-currents and countercurrents matter more here than any single linear narrative. Along the way, he offers not only sensitive readings of many individual building projects, but also a critique of the deterministic and nationalistic agendas that have previously distorted scholarly understandings of this fascinating material.
This book, which contains essays by many authors, served as the catalog for an exhibition held in Strasbourg in 1987. The catalog proper, occupying the last portion of the volume, includes short entries describing and tracing the historiography of many surviving Gothic architectural drawings, models, tools, and other artifacts related to later medieval building practice and its subsequent reception. The essays earlier in the volume include analyses of Biblical precedents for medieval construction, case studies of individual cathedral workshops and their architects, and discussions of geometry and design methodology, among other subjects. These diverse contributions together convey a rich and gratifyingly tangible sense of how Gothic cathedral design actually proceeded. The numerous footnotes for each catalog entry and essay, meanwhile, provide valuable pointers to the often obscure articles that define this important subfield of Gothic architectural scholarship.
This massive volume makes a strong initial impression because of its many outstanding color plates. Closer examination reveals that the book incorporates contributions from many authors, each expert in their respective subfield. Because of this fragmentation, no one single revisionist picture emerges from the book, but many of the individual essays bring bring new insights and perspectives to the study of Gothic art, and the cumulative visual and intellectual heft of the book makes it a valuable, comprehensive, and surprisingly affordable contribution to the literature.
Wilson's book serves as an excellent "user-friendly" introduction to Gothic architecture. Wilson chooses to concentrate only on what he calls "great churches," cathedralesque buildings with clerestories, radiating chapels, and masonry vaulting, among other features. This approach, which admittedly excludes many interesting and significant monuments, allows Wilson to spin a remarkably coherent narrative of impressive geographical and chronological scope. Wilson's discussion of the Low Countries, in particular, is a valuable and insightful addition to the English-language literature in the field. More broadly, Wilson's text deserves praise for its lucid but sophisticated treatment of how regional traditions, patronage circumstances, and competition between builders could interact to create new design solutions. Wilson's emphasis on individuals and their agency contrasts with Frankl's more dated-sounding emphasis on abstract artistic forces.