Full Description
From their introduction in the early twelfth century the Cistercians were one of the leading monastic orders in Britain. Many of the finest monastic remains - Fountains, Rievaulx and Tintern - are Cistercian. This 1986 book is a comprehensive survey of Cistercian art and architecture in the British Isles. The various contributions, all by leading specialists, cover the historical and literary background; the development of Cistercian architecture (especially in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, when the Cistercians were in the forefront of architectural achievement, playing an important role in the introduction and dissemination of the Gothic style); and art forms such as wall painting, stained glass, tile pavements, and manuscript illumination, as well as liturgy and music. These studies reveal what was distinctively Cistercian in the art and architecture of the Order, and permit a distinct understanding of the remarkable contribution of the Cistercians to the culture of medieval Britain.
Contents
List of plates; List of figures and maps; Preface; Acknowledgements; 1. Introduction Christopher Norton and David Park; 2. St Bernard, the patrons and monastic planning Christopher Brooke; 3. The foundation of the British Cistercian houses Janet Burton; 4. The chronology and character of early Cistercian legislation on art and architecture Christopher Holdsworth; 5. The Cistercian attitude towards art: the literary evidence C. H. Talbot; 6. The earliest architecture of the Cistercians in England Richard Hasley; 7. The Cistercians as 'missionaries of Gothic' in Northern England Christopher Wilson; 8. The architecture of the Cistercian churches of Ireland, 1142-1272 Roger Stalley; 9. Cistercian architecture from Beaulieu to the Dissolution Nicola Coldstream; 10. The twelfth-century refectories at Rievaulx and Byland Abbeys Peter Fergusson; 11. Cistercian wall and panel painting David Park; 12. Cistercian window glass in England and Wales Richard Marks; 13. Early Cistercian tile pavements Christopher Norton; 14. Cistercian metalwork in England Jane Geddes; 15. Cistercian seals in England and Wales T. A. Heslop; 16. English Cistercian manuscripts of the twelfth century Anne Lawrence; 17. Liturgy and liturgical music: the limits of uniformity D. F. L. Chadd; 18. Table of Cistercian legislation on art and architecture Christopher Norton; 19. Tables of Cistercian affilliations Janet Burton and Roger Stalley; Bibliography; Index.
