articles on the early gothic period
in-depth studies of carvers and carving styles

John James

Most of what I have written on medieval architecture, on the master masons and their construction techniques, has been printed in books or magazines. With the demise of so many university libraries and the passion for seeking information only in the most convenient locations – I speak of course, of the internet – it is almost impossible for the student to browse widely through anything published before the web came to dominate our lives. Information-gathering is limited to the quickest process.

It is therefore essential to remind our readers that important material has been published on paper – in books, magazine, pamphlets and notes.

We are at a huge disadvantage in our search for historic accuracy if we sideline the publications of the past.

For this reason, I have published concepts that have entered into the opinions of the profession so seamlessly that the source is seldom referenced. Example are the Art Bulletin Survey of 1984, The Contractors of Chartres from the 70s and the application of their conclusions since then.

The great usefulness of the web is its ability to search and sort at lightning speed. To see a carving by Gregoire and then be able in a flick to access other works in the same manner, to display the history of any of those churches and to do so in date order. The ability to do that is priceless.