G o t h i c  Ca t h e d r a l s  o f   F r a n c e

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The Chevet, enfolded by tall, slender buttresses, rises from the plains of Picardie like a crouching spider. (45kb) Exquisitely-carved blind arcading is typically Norman in execution. (36kb) The western facade introduced many features adopted in Notre-Dame de Paris. (44kb) The vast Roman-tiled roof, viewed from the summit of the clocher. (117kb) No fewer than five aisles create the definitive Gothic forest interior effect. (74kb)
The outline of Noyon remains a commanding presence among the gently undulating northern plains. (45kb) As the sun sinks, so the last warm rays of the day turn the pale grey stone to rich gold. (116kb) The chevet vaults of Le Mans, an assured showcase for the medieval masons' skills. (78kb) The serene interior, possibly the model for Chartres, gives little hint of the damage sustained during two world wars. (65kb) Pilgrim's-eye view of the assertive, richly-decorated central portal. (86kb)
At Tours the masons obviously had free rein to their creativity and sense of humour. (76kb) The Italianate decoration of the vaults is complemented by gilded supporting ribs. (120kb) The mystical colours of Chartres are the result of laminating the glass, as many as thirty layers being employed. (119kb) The compound effects, here bathed in light from the rich stained glass, are designed to disguise the mass of masonry. (45kb) The slender, crocketed spires add verticality to what began as a Romanesque cathedral. (76kb)
The monumental proportions of the western facade are disguised by a screen of stone tracery, executed with distinctly Germanic rigour. (87kb) Noyon is little-known, but arguably the most serene of all the Ile-de-France cathedrals. (69kb) Beauvais pushed the limits of what was technically feasible, and remains the ultimate expression of French Gothic ambition. (63kb) Tucked away in a tribune gallery, the masons personalised this vault crown. (88kb) Nightfall transforms and unifies the dual personalities of Nevers. (31kb)


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