Undergraduate Seminar
DFA 4.106
The Gothic Cathedral: Amiens
ARH 330J/RS 357/EUS 347
19515/43230/35960
Spring 2018
Prof. Holladay
Using the cathedral at Amiens, built between 1220 and 1269, as a paradigm, we will study High Gothic
art and architecture from a variety of angles. After investigating the meaning of the cathedral as an
earthly vision of the heavenly Jerusalem, we will examine the building history, considering both the
structural and technological aspects of the construction and the political and financial settings for the
erection of the building. How were the political and devotional concerns of the builders and patrons
reflected in the decorative programs, specifically the façade sculpture and stained glass? Finally we
will look at contemporary perceptions of the cathedral as evidenced in its immediate influence on other
buildings in both France and Germany and in renovations to the structural fabric between 1300 and
1380. Our goal is to understand one building in all its complexity.
Visual & Performing Arts (Core Component 050): This course may be used to fulfill the visual and
performing arts component of the university core curriculum and addresses the following four core
objectives established by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board: communication skills,
critical thinking skills, teamwork, and social responsibility.
Writing Flag: This course carries the Writing Flag. Writing Flag courses are designed to give students
experience with writing in an academic discipline. In this class, you can expect to write regularly
during the semester, complete substantial writing projects, and receive feedback from your instructor to
help you improve your writing. You will also have the opportunity to revise one or more assignments,
and to read and discuss your peers’ work. You should therefore expect a substantial portion of your
grade to come from your written work.
Global Cultures Flag: This course carries the Global Cultures flag. Global Cultures courses are
designed to increase your familiarity with cultural groups outside the United States. You should
therefore expect a substantial portion of your grade to come from assignments covering the practices,
beliefs, and histories of at least one non-U.S. cultural group, past or present.
Jan. 18
Introduction
Jan. 23
Amiens’ Predecessors: St. Denis, Chartres, Reims
Jan. 25
Presentation and discussion of possible paper topics
Jan. 30
The Meaning of the Cathedral
+O. von Simson, The Gothic Cathedral, 3-58
Feb. 1
The Meaning of the Cathedral II
L. H. Stookey, “The Gothic Cathedral as Heavenly Jerusalem: Liturgical and
Theological Sources,” Gesta 8 (1969): 35–41
+J. Tripps, “From Singing Saints to Descending Angels: Medieval Ceremonies
and Cathedral Façades as Representations of the Heavenly Jerusalem,”
Arte Cristiana 93 (2005): 1–13
+Wilhelm Schlink, “The Gothic Cathedral as Heavenly Jerusalem: A Fiction in
German Art History,” Jewish Art 23–24 (1997–98): 275–85
Feb. 6
Introduction to Library Resources with Fine Arts Librarian Becca Pad
S. Barnet, A Short Guide to Writing about Art, 275-91
Feb. 8
Amiens: “The Ultimate Gothic Church”
+W. Stoddard, Art and Architecture in Medieval France, Ch. 20 (210-21)
+J. Bony, French Gothic Architecture of the Twelfth and Thirteenth Centuries,
220-48, 275-81
Feb. 13
Chronology Problems
review Stoddard; read S. Murray, “Looking for Robert de Luzarches,” Gesta,
29 (1990), 111-31
Feb. 15
Building Techniques; The Role of the Master Mason
+J. Gimpel, The Cathedral Builders, Ch. 5 (59-77) & Ch. 7 (89-122)
+ N. Nussbaum, “Planning and Building Without Writing: Questions of
Communication in Gothic Masons’ Lodges,” in Architecture, Liturgy
and Identity: Liber Amicorum Paul Crossley, Zoë Opačić and Achim
Timmermann (Turnhout: Brepols, 2011), 137–45
J. A. Givens, “The Fabric Accounts of Exeter Cathedral as a Record of
Medieval Sculptural Practice,” Gesta 30, no. 2: 112–18
Feb. 20
Short in-class reports
Feb. 22
Short in-class reports
Feb. 27
Perception
S. Murray & J. Addiss, “Plan and Space at Amiens Cathedral,” Journal of the
Society of Architectural Historians, 49 (1990), 44-66
S. Barnet, A Short Guide to Writing about Art, Ch. 13 (270-306)
Mar. 1
Structure I
+S. Bonde, C. Maines, and R. Mark, “Archaeology and Engineering: The
Foundations of Amiens Cathedral,” Kunstchronik, 42 (1989), 341-48
Mar. 6
Structure II
+R. Mark, Experiments in Gothic Structure, 2-33, 50-58
Mar. 8
Economics
+H. Kraus, Gold was the Mortar, ch. 2 (39-59)
+B. Abou-el-Haj, “Building and Decorating at Reims and Amiens,” Studien zur
Geschichte der europäischen Skulptur im 12./13. Jahrhundert, 763-76
and 508-19
First short paper (Annotated Bibliography) due in class
**
SPRING BREAK
Mar. 20
Style in Gothic Sculpture
Mar. 22
Papers returned and discussed
Mar. 27
Practicing Stylistic Analysis
S. Barnet, A Short Guide to Writing about Art, Chs. 2 & 3 (37-68) and pp.
97-102
Mar. 29
**
Gothic Sculpture: Portal Programs
Second short paper (Stylistic Analysis) due in class
Apr. 3
Sculpture (The West Facade):
+W. Sauerländer, Gothic Sculpture in France, 460-66 and plates 160-73
Small group discussion of second papers
Apr. 5
The West Façade: The Side Portals
M. Rickard, “The Iconography of the Virgin Portal at Amiens,” Gesta, 22/2
(1983), 147-58
K. Gould, “Illumination and Sculpture in Thirteenth-Century Amiens,” Art
Bulletin, 59 (1977), 161-66
Apr. 10
Sculpture (The South Transept Facade):
+Sauerländer, Gothic Sculpture in France, 494-95 and plates 277-79
+Gaposchkin, “Portals, Processions, Pilgrimage, and Piety: Saints Firmin and
Honoré at Amiens,” Art and Architecture of Late Medieval Pilgrimage in
Northern Europe and the British Isles, 217-42 and figs. 115-23
Apr. 12
**
The Alternative: Saint-Denis
First draft of research papers due in class
Apr. 17
In the Wake of Amiens I: The Sainte Chapelle
+Branner, Saint Louis and the Court Style, 56-84
Apr. 19
In the Wake of Amiens II: Cologne and Altenberg
+Branner, Saint Louis and the Court Style, 123, 128-34
Apr. 24
The Alternative to the French Model
M. Trachtenberg, “Gothic/Italian ‘Gothic’: Toward a Redefinition,” Journal of
the Society of Architectural Historians 50 (1991), 22-37
Apr. 26
Stained Glass and Interior Furnishings
+W. Sauerländer, Gothic Sculpture in France, on Fouilloy tomb, 467
Final draft of research papers due in class
**
May 1
**
Later renovations: The Collateral Chapels & the LaGrange Buttress
+C. Sherman, The Portraits of Charles V of France, 57-63
Peer reviews due in class
May 3
Short Reports on Research Papers; Papers returned and discussed; Evaluations
Readings
There is one required book for this course, available at local bookstores:
S. Barnet, A Short Guide to Writing About Art, 11th edition (2015).
Most of the other readings are available on the course site on Canvas (those marked with +) or on the
University Libraries website. Look them up there by the title of the journal, NOT through JSTOR.
It is essential that the required reading be completed before each class. I strongly encourage
you to print out the articles, mark them up as you read, and bring your marked-up copy to class with
you.
Grading policy (I do use + and - grades.)
Grades will be determined according to the following percentages:
class discussion
15%
daily
oral report
10%
in class, Feb. 20 &. 22
2 short papers
15% each
due Mar. 8 & 29, in class
research paper, first draft
due Apr. 12, in class
research paper, final draft
35%
due Apr. 26, in class
peer review
10%
due May 1, in class
short report on research paper
May 3, in class
Class discussion and attendance: The heavy emphasis on class discussion reflects the structuring of this
course according to a seminar rather than a lecture format. It will not be possible for students to participate fully unless each day’s reading has been completed in advance. Unannounced quizzes may be
given to test completion and comprehension of reading. It should also be obvious that in order to participate, you have to attend. Roll will be taken daily, and you must sign in on the roll sheet to be
counted as present. The third unexcused absence will cause the final course grade to be lowered a full
letter grade. Each subsequent absence will lower the course grade an additional one-third of a letter
grade.
Assignments
All your graded independent work in this course will center on a single cathedral or problem so that, by
the end of the semester, each student will be a specialist on one monument or aspect of the field in addition to our shared topic, the cathedral at Amiens. Some ideas for paper topics will be presented in
the second week of class.
All written work must be word-processed and turned in in class in hard copy. Late papers will
be penalized 1/2 letter grade for each week-day beyond the due date. Since this course fulfills the writing flag requirement, all work will be graded on quality of expression as well as content.
I would strongly suggest making use of the Undergraduate Writing Center; you pay for it!
Oral report: This assignment is intended as an exercise in critical reading, organization, and public
speaking. It should concentrate on one important book or article related to your topic and discuss in a
well-organized structure the approach and the major arguments of the text, its strengths and weaknesses, and its place in the literature on this subject.
Length: 7 minutes; in class, Feb. 20 & 22
First short paper: annotated bibliography of five or six sources related to your topic. You may include
the work presented in the oral report (above). An annotated bibliography includes the exact bibliographic reference for each source you discuss formatted according to the Chicago Manual of Style (see
S. Barnet, A Short Guide to Writing about Art, 341-44). The citation is followed by a short, carefully
constructed text of at least one paragraph that discusses the content and approach of the work, its
strengths and weaknesses, and its place in the scholarship. Read S. Barnet, A Short Guide to Writing
about Art, Chs. 9 & 10, before writing your entries. Criteria for grading will include the choice of essential works as well as the content and quality of the individual entries. This assignment is intended
as an opportunity to concentrate on writing well-structured sentences and putting them together into
tight, carefully organized paragraphs.
Length: 3-5 pages, double-spaced with one-inch margins; due in class, Mar. 8
Second short paper: stylistic analysis of a single sculpture, typically a seated or standing single figure,
from your monument. Students working on a structural or theoretical problem may substitute an analysis of a sculpture of their choice, ideally from a building that will play a role in their paper. This paper is intended to exercise your powers of observation; no extra reading beyond the pages assigned in
Barnet’s book for Mar. 27 is necessary to do this assignment. In addition to the skills developed in the
previous assignments, this is an opportunity to work on the organization of a written text several paragraphs long.
Length: 3-5 pages, double-spaced with one-inch margins; due in class, Mar. 29
Please turn in three copies of your papers.
Research paper: a detailed argument about one or more related aspects of your chosen building. You
will not be able to treat your entire building in depth in a paper of this length so it is imperative that
you limit your discussion. In choosing the subject of this paper, you should look for a topic that will
allow your own input and will permit you to develop a thesis on the basis of informed reading. Experience shows that the best papers result from problem-oriented, rather than descriptive, topics; thus
“Stained Glass at Reims Cathedral” is not a promising topic, but “Power Plays in the Choir Glass at
Reims: Archbishops and Kings in the Light of Local Politics” is likely to open the way to the exploration of some interesting problems. At this point you will be expected to put together all the writing
skills practiced in the course of the semester to convey a convincing argument.
In addition to applying what you have learned from your reading in Barnet over the semester,
your paper should use the conventions discussed in S. Barnet, A Short Guide to Writing about Art, Ch.
14 (pp. 307-344).
Length: 11-14 pages (including notes, but excluding illustrations), double-spaced with one-inch margins; first draft due in class, Apr. 12; second (final) draft due in class, Apr. 26.
Please turn in two copies of your final draft -- one with your name on it and one without.
Peer Review: an opportunity to exercise your critical skills with greater distance than we can usually
bring to our own work. You will be asked to grade and comment on a colleague’s paper, considering
the conception and definition of the topic, the nature and arrangement of the argument, and the quality
and effectiveness of the writing. More detailed directions will be passed out with the paper you are to
grade.
Length: marginal comments on content and writing throughout and at least one carefully composed narrative paragraph commenting on the bigger picture and offering constructive criticism for improvement or further development of the topic; due in class, May 1
Short Report on Research Paper: an informal opportunity to share the results of your work with your
colleagues.
Length: 5 minutes; in class, May 3
Other Resources for Good Writing
--the handouts on various topics ranging from “apostrophes” to “research papers” available from the
University Writing Center: uwc.utexas.edu/handouts
--Purdue Online Writing Lab (https://owl.english.purdue.edu/) with sections on various style sheets,
plagiarism, etc.
--Two Guys on Your Head. UT profs. Dr. Art Markman and Dr. Bob Duke have short discussions
about various topics “related to the brain” (KUT 90.5, Fridays at 7:51a, 1:49p and 4:51p:
http://kut.org/post/plagiarism-intellectual-property-and-where-draw-line
http://kut.org/post/how-crush-writers-block-1
http://kut.org/post/how-we-retain-information
http://kut.org/post/how-your-brain-can-help-you-put-procastination-0
Office Hours
Thursdays 2:00-4:00 and by appointment
FAB 2.128
232-2546
holladay@austin.utexas.edu
Please note this text from the UT website (https://campuscarry.utexas.edu/faculty) about “campus carry”: “Faculty members who are solely assigned to an office are permitted to prohibit the concealed carry of a handgun in that office. If faculty members choose to exercise this discretion, they
must provide oral notice that the concealed carry of a handgun is prohibited in their offices. Oral notice is the only legally effective way to provide notice about the prohibition. All employees are permitted to post signage in their office or include language in their syllabi. However, such signage or language is not a legally effective substitute for oral notification.”
My office is solely assigned to me, and I am prohibiting concealed carry of handguns in my office. I will be announcing this orally on the first day of class to the class as a whole as well as individually to students who join the class after the first day. As per the “FAQs for Faculty” page of the Campus Carry website (https://campuscarry.utexas.edu/protected/faculty-faq), I will be asking all students
to “sign a statement that acknowledges that they have received oral notification of [my] desire to ban
guns in [my] office” and to agree to abide by this policy. From that same website: “you only have to
provide this notice once to an individual, so for any following visits you do not have to repeat this process.”
Classroom Conduct
CLASSROOM CONDUCT (adapted from Dr. Ann Johns’ ARH 303 syllabus and that of ITL 312K):
Students should attend every class, arriving for class on time and staying in class for the full 50
minutes. --Tardy arrivals (and early departures) are disruptive and distracting. Leaving and returning
during class is equally unacceptable. Your fellow students and I consider such behavior rude and
annoying.
--Don’t talk in class, unless you’re talking to the ENTIRE class. We would much prefer that you make
your comments to the class as a whole than to the person next to you, as this disturbs your neighbor
and distracts your professor.
--Students should leave at home or completely deactivate any and all devices that beep, squeal, ring,
buzz, or otherwise emit obnoxious sounds. This includes but is not limited to telephones, pagers,
beepers, and watches. If you have a device that goes off in class, you are expected to take it out of the
classroom immediately, and not to return during that class period.
--Save your text messages for another time. If you’re looking at your lap, we’ll assume your texting. I
will call you out in class.
--Use your laptops only for note-taking. The misuse of these electronic gizmos is inconsiderate to your
fellow students and it makes your professor want to place you in a lower circle of Hell. We reserve the
right to ask you to leave class if we find you using these devices inappropriately; this includes texting,
checking Facebook, playing solitaire, ordering shoes, etc. Please remember that what is on YOUR
computer screen may be very distracting to those near you.
--Treat your TA with the same courtesy and respect that you would use with a professor.
--When you send me an e-mail, please use a salutation (Dear Dr. Holladay, Hi Professor Holladay, or
just Dr. Holladay) and a closing with your name. I will not answer improperly casual e-mails.
--Check your e-mail regularly for Canvas e-mails and messages from your professor. Together with
announcements in class this is my official way of communicating with you.
--At all times, you should be considerate and respectful towards your classmates and their opinions,
which may differ from yours.
Warning about Sharing Class Materials
The materials used in this class, including, but not limited to, powerpoint presentations, exams, quizzes, and homework assignments are copyright protected works. Any unauthorized copying of the class
materials is a violation of federal law and may result in disciplinary actions being taken against the student. Additionally, the sharing of class materials without the specific, express approval of the instructor may be a violation of the University's Student Honor Code and an act of academic dishonesty,
which could result in further disciplinary action. This includes, among other things, uploading class
materials to websites for the purpose of sharing those materials with other current or future students.
University Policy Statements
Students with disabilities may request appropriate academic accommodations from the Division of Diversity and Community Engagement, Services for Students with Disabilities, 471-6259 or via
http://www.utexas.edu/diversity/ddce/ssd/
A student who needs to miss classes or other required activities, including examinations, for the
observance of a religious holy day should inform the instructor as far in advance as possible, so that
arrangements can be made to complete an assignment within a reasonable time after the absence.
According to the General Information catalog, “the value of a university degree depends on the
absolute integrity of the work done by each student for that degree, a student should maintain a high
standard of individual honor in his or her scholastic work” (see also http://catalog.utexas.edu/generalinformation/the-university/#universitycodeofconduct). Students who violate University rules on scholastic dishonesty are subject to disciplinary penalties, including the possibility of failure in the course
and/or dismissal from the University. Since such dishonesty harms the individual, all students, and the
integrity of the University, policies on scholastic dishonesty will be strictly enforced.
If you are not sure about what constitutes plagiarism, please check the following websites:
http://www.lib.utexas.edu/services/instruction/learningmodules/plagiarism/avoid.html
http://uwc.utexas.edu/handouts/direct-quotations-using-and-framing/
http://uwc.utexas.edu/handouts/paraphrasing/
http://abacus.bates.edu/cbb/index03d2.html?q=
http://abacus.bates.edu/cbb/quiz/index.html
Other Resources for Learning & Life at UT Austin
The University of Texas has numerous resources to provide academic and personal assistance and support for students:
The University Writing Center: http://uwc.utexas.edu/
The UT Learning Center: http://ugs.utexas.edu/slc
Counseling & Mental Health Center: http://cmhc.utexas.edu/
Vick Center for Strategic Advising and Career Counseling: http://ugs.utexas.edu/vick
Student Emergency Services: deanofstudents.utexas.edu/emergency/
CARE (Counselors in Academic Residence), Abby Simpson, 471-0392, DFA ground
floor, 1.204B, Mondays and Tuesdays
https://finearts.utexas.edu/care-counselor-fine-arts-students
Some Related Bibliography
P. Fingesten, “Topographical and Anatomical Aspects of the Gothic Cathedral,” Journal of Aesthetics
and Art Criticism 20 (1961): 3–23.
S. Murray, Notre-Dame, Cathedral of Amiens: The Power of Change in Gothic (Cambridge, 1996).
S. Murray, A Gothic Sermon: Making a Contract with the Mother of God, Saint Mary of Amiens
(Berkeley, 2004).
R. Bork, R. Mark, and S. Murray, “The Openwork Flying Buttresses of Amiens Cathedral: ‘Postmodern Gothic’ and the Limits of Structural Rationalism,” Journal of the Society of Architectural Historians 56 (1997): 478–93.
N. Hiscock, The Wise Master Builder: Platonic Geometry in Plans of Medieval Abbeys and Cathedrals (Aldershot, 1999).
S. Murray, “The Architectural Envelope of the Sainte-Chapelle, Form and Meaning,” AVISTA Forum
10/1 (1996–97): 21–25 [http://www.avista.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/afj1001.pdf]
S. Murray, “The Architectural Envelope of the Sainte-Chapelle, Form and Meaning,” Pierre, lumiere,
couleur: Études d’histoire de l’art du moyen âge (Paris, 1999), 223–30.
Marvin Trachtenberg, Building-in-Time: From Giotto to Alberti and Modern Oblivion (New Haven:
Yale University Press, 2010).
[on architectural structures that are not unified in style]
C. Little, “Monumental Gothic Sculpture from Amiens in American Collections,” in Pierre, lumière,
couleur: Études d’histoire de l’art du moyen âge en l’honneur d’Anne Prache, ed. F. Joubert and
D. Sandron, Cultures et civilisations médiévales, vol. 20 (Paris, 1999), 243–53.
D. Gillerman, “The Arrest of Christ: A Gothic Relief in the Metropolitan Museum of Art,” Metropolitan Museum Journal 15 (1987): 72–78.