Table Of ContentThe Analysis of Gothic Architecture
AVISTA Studies in
Medieval Technology, Science and Art
Editor-in-Chief
Jennifer M. Feltman (University of Alabama)
Editorial Board
Robert Bork (University of Iowa)
George Brooks (Valencia College)
Ellen Shortell (Massachusetts College of Art & Design)
Sarah Thompson (Rochester Institute of Technology)
volume 14
The titles published in this series are listed at brill.com/mtsa
The Analysis of Gothic
Architecture
Studies in Memory of
Robert Mark and Andrew Tallon
Edited by
Robert Bork
leiden | boston
Cover illustration: Bourges Cathedral; photoelastic cross-section of choir model by Robert Mark at left,
laser-scanned longitudinal section of choir by Andrew Tallon at right
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Mark, Robert, honouree. | Tallon, Andrew, 1969-2018, honouree. |
Bork, Robert, editor. | International Congress on Medieval Studies (56th
: 2021 : Kalamazoo, Mich.)
Title: The analysis of Gothic architecture : studies in memory of Robert
Mark and Andrew Tallon / edited by Robert Bork.
Description: Leiden ; Boston : Brill, [2023] | Series: AVISTA studies in
Medieval technology, science, and art, 2634-4750 ; volume 14 | Includes
bibliographical references and index.
Identifiers: LCCN 2022048702 (print) | LCCN 2022048703 (ebook) | ISBN
9789004529113 (hardback) | ISBN 9789004529335 (ebook)
Subjects: LCSH: Architecture, Gothic--Expertising. | Structural analysis
(Engineering) | Imaging systems in architecture.
Classification: LCC NA440 .A53 2023 (print) | LCC NA440 (ebook) | DDC
723/.5–dc23/eng/20221011
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2022048702
LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2022048703
Typeface for the Latin, Greek, and Cyrillic scripts: “Brill”. See and download: brill.com/brill-typeface.
issn 2634-4750
isbn 978-90-04-52911-3 (hardback)
isbn 978-90-04-52933-5 (e-book)
Copyright 2023 by Robert Bork. Published by Koninklijke Brill NV, Leiden, The Netherlands.
Koninklijke Brill NV incorporates the imprints Brill, Brill Nijhoff, Brill Hotei, Brill Schöningh, Brill Fink,
Brill mentis, Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, Böhlau, V&R unipress and Wageningen Academic.
Koninklijke Brill NV reserves the right to protect this publication against unauthorized use. Requests for
re-use and/or translations must be addressed to Koninklijke Brill NV via brill.com or copyright.com.
This book is printed on acid-free paper and produced in a sustainable manner.
Contents
List of Figures vii
Notes on Contributors xii
1 Introduction 1
Robert Bork
2 Robert Mark: In Memoriam 8
Ethan Mark
3 Andrew Tallon: Singing with the Cathedral 12
Stephen Murray
4 Robert Mark’s Career: Patterns of Insight 19
Robert Bork
5 From Stephen Murray to Andrew Tallon: Writing the History of
Medieval Architecture between France and America 35
Arnaud Timbert
6 Remembering Robert Mark and Andrew Tallon: A Roundtable
Discussion 49
Robert Bork, Sergio Sanabria, Ellen Shortell, Elizabeth Smith and
Nancy Wu
7 Ad Triangulum Geometries in Parisian Early Gothic Choirs (and Their
Implications for Understanding Suger’s Saint-Denis) 75
Robert Bork
8 Archaeology and Standing Structure: An Archaeological Approach to
the Relative Building Chronology of Santa Maria at Alcobaça 104
Sheila Bonde and Clark Maines
9 Between Reims and Soissons: Gothic Space and Place in a Medieval
Landscape 132
Kyle Killian
10 Revisiting the Reims High Vaults 152
Rebecca Smith
vi Contents
11 Reims Reconsidered: New Arguments for Dating the West Façade of the
Cathedral 174
Peter Kurmann
12 Drawing Flyers at the Cathedral of Clermont-Ferrand 192
Michael T. Davis and Stefaan Van Liefferinge
13 Tracing the Past: A Digital Analysis of the Choir Vaults at Wells
Cathedral and Ottery Saint Mary 212
James Hillson with Alexandrina Buchanan and Nicholas Webb
14 “And They Stand...by Their Very Own Selves”: The Nave Vaults of Santa
Maria Novella in Florence 238
Elizabeth B. Smith
15 Notre-Dame after Notre-Dame: The Workshop of the Cathedral in the
Fourteenth Century According to the Fabric Accounts 253
Dany Sandron
16 The Image of Notre-Dame: Architectural and Artistic Responses to the
Cathedral of Paris 264
Lindsay S. Cook
Index 289
Figures
1.1 Andrew Tallon and Robert Mark together in June 2017 2
1.2 Bourges Cathedral; photoelastic cross-section of choir model by Robert
Mark at left, laser-scanned longitudinal section of choir by Andrew Tallon at
right 2
1.3 Sens Cathedral; ANSYS finite-element model by Robert Mark, 1986 3
1.4 Sens Cathedral; laser-scanned 3D model by Andrew Tallon, 2011 4
1.5 Quadripartite vaulting; finite element model mesh above, and force
trajectories, below, by Robert Mark 4
1.6 Notre-Dame Cathedral, Paris; laser-scanned cross-section of choir with
equilateral triangle superposed by Andrew Tallon 5
2.1 Robert Mark 8
2.2 Amiens Cathedral; photoelastic patterns in model of nave, by Robert
Mark 9
3.1 Andrew Tallon 12
3.2 Beauvais Cathedral, laser scan model by Andrew Tallon, 2013 15
4.1 Robert Mark in his office, with photoelastic model of Amiens nave 20
4.2 Robert Mark’s polariscope equipment at Princeton 20
4.3 Beauvais Cathedral, photoelastic model of choir section 26
4.4 Hagia Sophia, finite-element model by Robert Mark and Ahmet Çakmak 31
4.5 Joe Alonso and Robert Mark together at Washington Cathedral 32
5.1 Stephen Murray 36
5.2 Amiens Cathedral, computer model from Stephen Murray’s Amiens Trilogy,
1996 38
5.3 Andrew Tallon, with Leica laser scanner in the nave of Notre-Dame, Paris 40
5.4 Saint-Denis Abbey, photo by Andrew Tallon as seen in Mapping Gothic
France 41
5.5 Amiens Cathedral, successive phases of laser-scan model development, by
Andrew Tallon 45
6.1 Robert Mark, seen with model of Chartres Cathedral nave in polariscope 51
6.2 Andrew Tallon, Princeton graduation photo, 1991 53
6.3 Bourges Cathedral, view from roof down staircase on southeast flying buttress
of choir 54
6.4 Amiens Cathedral, photoelastic model being pulled laterally by fishing
weights to simulate wind load 56
6.5 Noyon Cathedral, caveau phonocamptique, panoramic photo by Andrew
Tallon 57
viii Figures
7.1 Comparative plans of four Parisian Early Gothic choirs: Saint-Martin-des-
Champs, Saint-Denis, Saint-Germain-des-Prés, and Notre-Dame. Saint-
Martin-des-Champs after Deneux 1913 Saint-Denis after Crosby 1987 Saint-
Germain-des-Prés modified after Plagnieux 2000, and Notre-Dame after
Andrew Tallon and Laurence Stefanon 77
7.2 Paris, Saint-Martin-des-Champs, basic steps of plan geometry 78
7.3 Paris, Saint-Martin-des-Champs, geometry of plan and section 81
7.4 Saint-Denis Abbey, geometry of crypt plan 84
7.5 Paris, Saint-Germain-des-Prés, geometry of plan and section 88
7.6 Paris, Notre-Dame, geometry of choir plan. Graphic by Robert Bork overlaid
on plan by Andrew Tallon and Laurence Stefanon 94
7.7 Paris, Notre-Dame, geometry of choir section 96
7.8 Saint-Denis Abbey, geometry of choir plan and section, with hypothetical
superstructure alternatives 100
8.1 Santa Maria d’Alcobaça, satellite view of the monastery 110
8.2 Santa Maria d’Alcobaça, redrawn plan of the medieval monastery 111
8.3 Santa Maria d’Alcobaça, interior view looking east 112
8.4 Santa Maria d’Alcobaça, plan of the church, showing phases and pier forms,
(after Cocheril, Études, 1966, p. 247) 113
8.5 Santa Maria d’Alcobaça, reconstructed medieval plan (after Cocheril, Notes
sur l’architecture, 1972, fig. 9) with arrows showing location of construction
breaks identified by interruptions in the integrity of masonry courses 122
8.6. a) Santa Maria d’Alcobaça, construction break in the 5th bay of the south nave
side-aisle. b) Santa Maria d’Alcobaça, construction break at the twelfth bay of
the north nave side-aisle. c) Santa Maria d’Alcobaça, construction break above
the portal of the west façade 123
8.7 a) Santa Maria d’Alcobaça, water reservoir in seventh bay of the south side-
aisle of the church b) Santa Maria d’Alcobaça, redrawn plan of the medieval
monastery showing hydraulics 124
8.8 Santa Maria d’Alcobaça, axonometric projection of the church, construction
phase 1 126
8.9 a) Santa Maria d’Alcobaça, axonometric projection of the church,
construction phase 2. b) Santa Maria d’Alcobaça, axonometric projection of
the church, construction phase 3 130
9.1 Medieval parishes between the cities of Reims and Soissons 136
9.2 Medieval parishes showing medieval architectural survival 138
9.3 Parish church of Notre-Dame in Rosnay 139
9.4 Parish church Notre-Dame in Saponay. Bibliothèque nationale de France,
département Estampes et photographie, 4-VE-374 (14). Étienne Moreau-
Nélaton, Recueil. Monuments du département de l’Aisne détruits ou
endommagés pendant la guerre de 1914–1918 Roucy à Sermoise 140
Figures ix
9.5 Parish church of Saint-Laurent in Chavonne before World War One.
Bibliothèque nationale de France, département Estampes et photographie,
4-VE-378 (4). Étienne Moreau-Nélaton, Recueil. Patrimoine architectural
du département de l’Aisne: Arrondissement de Soissons. Bucy-le-Long à
Chavonne 141
9.6 Parish church of Saint-Laurent in Chavonne after World War One.
Bibliothèque nationale de France, département Estampes et photographie,
4-VE-374 (4). Étienne Moreau-Nélaton Recueil, Monuments du département
de l’Aisne détruits ou endommagés pendant la guerre de 1914–1918: Charèves à
Chéry-Chartreuve 142
9.7 Pages from Robert Rouet’s 4th album of photographs and ephemera showing
among other things the destroyed Cluniac priory of Binson 143
9.8 Nave, parish church of Saint-Pierre in Crugny. Estève, Georges
(1890–1975) 144
9.9 Choir, parish church of Saint-Pierre in Crugny. Estève, Georges
(1890–1975) 145
9.10 Crossing, parish church of Saint-Martin in Lagery. Estève, Georges
(1890–1975) 146
9.11 Tessellation showing the stylistic characteristics of medieval parish
churches 147
9.12 Monastic church of Saint-Yved in Braine 148
9.13 Parish church of Notre-Dame in Vailly-sur-Aisne. Apse and Transept. Estève,
Georges (1890–1975) 148
10.1 LiDAR Model of Reims Cathedral 153
10.2 Geometric analysis of vault deformation and change in angles 154
10.3 Geometric analysis of Reims’s elevation 158
10.4 Reims Cathedral, chevet flying buttresses & pinnacles 160
10.5 Diagram of Reims’s choir cross-section with flyers and tas-de-charge 161
10.6 Villard de Honnecourt, Folio 32v, Drawing of choir buttresses at Reims 165
10.7 Villard de Honnecourt, Folio 31v, Drawing of nave elevation at Reims 168
10.8 South Transept, Reims Cathedral 172
11.1 West façade, Reims Cathedral 175
11.2 View from southwest, Reims Cathedral 176
11.3 West façade, north portal, local saints on the right jamb, Reims
Cathedral 176
11.4 Saint John the Apostle from the Sainte-Chapelle in Paris (c.1248), Paris, Musée
de Cluny, Musée national du Moyen Âge 178
11.5 West façade, north portal, unknown saint, right jamb (1250–1260), Reims
Cathedral 179
11.6 Reverse of the west façade, saint John the Baptist accompanied by two
prophets, Reims Cathedral 183
