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carvings in Grossteste manner

Carver Filter

Active dates filtered by Certitude: X Within the three Confidence groups the designs on each capital have been separated into five levels of Certitude. This separates carvings that could reasonably be attributed to an individual carver from those that have only minimal relationship to any original template. Those few noted '!!' are the core for identification and were most probably carved by the same man, while those noted '??' were clearly carved by others using a similar design. The inbetween indicate various levels of certainty. The assessments have been made by examining how closely a capital has followed the template in the '!!' group, the manner of carving and the decorative niceties. '!!' (and to a lesser extent '!') form the core group, and the rest are less likely candidates. Those that look as if they were produced by a student are usually noted '?' or '??'. This work is presented publicly in spite of its many imperfections so you may assess progress to date. I have used names so they are easier to remember, but each could represent a template used by many. Enjoy the beauty and skill in these capitals that has held me captivated for over fifty years.
!! ! !? ? ??	All

Confidence:

Within the three Confidence groups the designs on each capital have been separated into five levels of Certitude. This separates carvings that could reasonably be attributed to an individual carver from those that have only minimal relationship to any original template. Those few noted '!!' are the core for identification and were most probably carved by the same man, while those noted '??' were clearly carved by others using a similar design. The inbetween indicate various levels of certainty.

The assessments have been made by examining how closely a capital has followed the template in the '!!' group, the manner of carving and the decorative niceties. '!!' (and to a lesser extent '!') form the core group, and the rest are less likely candidates.

Those that look as if they were produced by a student are usually noted '?' or '??'.

This work is presented publicly in spite of its many imperfections so you may assess progress to date. I have used names so they are easier to remember, but each could represent a template used by many.

Enjoy the beauty and skill in these capitals that has held me captivated for over fifty years.Confidence filters the carvers listed in the left column. They are all the carvers/manners that I have been able to gather so far, and named. They are displayed in the following three levels that reflect my confidence in the attributions.

** LOW Confidence: Similar in manner but clearly by many carvers: This is the first step to group capitals with similar templates, no matter how varied the detailing.

** MEDIUM Confidence: Similar with a possibility that the more Certain were the work of one team. In this second stage the individual carvers were separated from those by colleagues or by students.

** HIGH Confidence: Similar with a patent probability that many were carved by one individual.

The combination of High Confidence and the highest two levels of Certainty '!!' and '!' are the most realistic identifications of the carvers I have yet made.

High
Medium

Carving styles (0 total)

carver?

mode?

Mode of a template offers a quick way to sort by type, such as ‚ÄúB‚Äù would group. all those with birds.

These are the Codes used in Modes

2 foliage or tendrils that are separate, two-dimensional

3 foliage or tendrils that are crossing or emerging out of another

c major part of the foliage placed in the centre of the capital

f major foliage on the flanks, supporting the upper corner

r rinceau designs, often emerging from the mouth

+ more than one row of elements

# repeatitive items place in rows and layers

<> foliage connects above the astragal, rather than rising from it.

oo elements framed, mainly in rinceau designs.

B birds or animals

cone the core form is dominant, decoration laid over it

e enchancre, though seldom consistent on all capitals.

H heads or people

geom geometric forms or lines

hang foliage hanging, at times from a head or crocket

Sp spiral rinceau designs

T^ tips of leaves extended and pointing up, or Tv pointing down

tree tree-like forms

X straps, either crossing or used instead of foliage.

confidence?

GATHERING SIMILAR CARVINGS among over 50,000 in this study is the first step in separating the work of individuals. It has been my lifelong intention to identify some of the men who created Gothic. This is a beginning, a work in progress.
Templates were the means by which a masters communicated with his masons, and I presume that carvers were no different. The template is therefore one key element to making attributions among carvers. Among master masons I would refer you to the 250 geometric studies in The Contractors of Chartres.

TYPICAL QUESTIONS might be: What else was going on in the towns where he worked? How long would it have taken to get to distant churches? As the carvers travelled, who did they meet at different sites, and how might this have influenced their carving? Where may men have met and spent time together and shared ideas? How long was a working life, and were their first works carved in adolescence? Are the dates clustered within a reasonable timeframe for an active life? Were carvers employed by one builder or were they independent and peripatetic? On a large job would all the carvers have turned up at the same time, or singly? Did they do other skilled work such as torus moulds or decorative framing, and can we identify them?

FOUR ARTICLES

...Simples are the foundation for foliates

The Ark of God

Click here for the geometry.

......Distinguishing the Rinceau carvers from the Master Carvers Series #03. Click here for Rinceau arrangements.
.........Dating procedures from the Master Carvers Series. Click here for chronology procedures.
............Workshop procedures summary from the Laon gallery analysis. Click here for workshop procedures.

FOUR ARTICLES...Read more

Studies

These draft studies have been written as if all carvings were by an individual whereas they can equally be analysed as template modes employed by a number of carvers. The more personal approach was necessitated by the complexity of the data. The drafts will be reconsidered after I have added the rib vault material to the database.

The Rinceau Carvers

Map
Gathered
Photo 1
Photo 2
Description

Massive heads usually in corners with little other decoration. Varied. A number of carvers involved.[..]
Massive heads usually in corners with little other decoration. Varied. A number of carvers involved.[..]
List

Carver: Grossteste, 42 capitals in 28 jobs. Active: 1084-1173. Filtered by Certainty .

Origin	Monument	Region	Dept	Priority	Phase	Description	Decade	Detail Date	Certainty	Job
Crusade I								1095-		-
Crusade II								1146-		-
Sens	Saint-Étienne	Yonne	Yonne	1	4	choir walls (a)	1130	1137		1
Saint-Benoit-sur-Loire	Saint-Pierre-et-Notre-Dame	Gâtinais	Loiret	1	6	choir (t)	1090	1091		2
Châteaudun	Sainte-Madeleine	Perche	Eure-et-Loir	2	3	nave (d)	1120	1129		3
Vendôme	La Trinité	Outliers	Loir-et-Cher	2	2	tower II	1110	1115		4
Morienval	Saint-Denis	Senlisis	Oise	2	13	east (c)	1100	1103		5
Maule	Saint-Nicolas	Meulanois	Yvelines	2	6	nave (t,c)	1120	1121		6
Courcelles-sur-Viosne	Saint-Lucien	Vexin	Val-d'Oise	2	3	tower	1120	1126	!!	7
Béthisy-Saint-Martin	Saint-Martin	Senlisis	Oise	3	3	tower II	1130	1134		8
Néry	Saint-Martin	Senlisis	Oise	3	3	tower II	1130	1130		9
Deuil-la-Barre	La Nativite-de-la-Sainte-Vierge	Parisis	Val-d'Oise	3	5	tower I, II	1090	1093		10
Thiverny	Saint-Leufroy	Therain	Oise	3	1	west door	1100	1106		11
Azy-sur-Marne	Saint-Félix	Marne	Aisne	3	3	tower II	1090	1091		12
Mogneville	Saint-Denis	Therain	Oise	3	12	tower I	1120	1122		13
Cuise-la-Motte	Saint-Martin	Soissonais	Oise	3	1	east, crossing	1160	1164		14
Les Istres-et-Bury	Sainte-Helene	Châlonais	Marne	3	2	tower II	1130	1136		15
Crandelain	Saint-Martin	Laonnois	Aisne	3	5	tower I	1110	1113		16
Saint-Vaast-lès-Mello	Saint-Lambert	Therain	Oise	3	5	nave (c)2	1110	1112		17
Francastel	Notre-Dame-de-la-Nativite	Beauvaisis	Oise	3	1	east	1080	1084		18
Foulangues	Saint-Denis	Therain	Oise	3	5	w crossing	1110	1114		19
Bellay-en-Vexin, Le	Sainte-Marie-Madeleine	Vexin	Val-d'Oise	3	2	crossing (a)	1120	1125		20
Damery	Saint-Georges	Marne	Marne	3	2	crossing (c)	1140	1146		21
Thibie	Saint-Symphorien	Châlonais	Marne	3	2	tower	1120	1123		22
Crandelain	Saint-Martin	Laonnois	Aisne	3	6	tower II	1120	1123		23
Saintines	Saint-Médard	Senlisis	Oise	3	2	tower, spire	1110	1117		24
Lavannes	Saint-Lambert	Reimois	Marne	3	3	east	1170	1173		25
Saint-Vaast-lès-Mello	Saint-Lambert	Therain	Oise	3	2	west door	1080	1087		26
Foulangues	Saint-Denis	Therain	Oise	3	10	n nave (a)	1130	1134		27
Warluis	Saint-Lucien	Beauvaisis	Oise	3	2	tower I	1120	1120		28

explore the carvers - list carvings in Grossteste manner

Carver Filter

Carving styles (0 total)

carver?

mode?

confidence?

Map

Gathered

Photo 1

Photo 2

Description

List

Carver: Grossteste, 42 capitals in 28 jobs. Active: 1084-1173. Filtered by Certainty .

explore the carvers - list
carvings in Grossteste manner