Ken Sakai, 'What is Gothic: A Spiritual History of the Cathedral'
Sacred forms born from medieval Christian faith and nature worship. Tracing these ideas to re-read Europe.
Why are cathedrals so tall?
Reading the heart of Europe!
I own the Kodansha Gendai Shinsho edition (first published in 2000), but it seems it is now available in the Chikuma Bungei Bunko series.
The Gendai Shinsho edition ends by touching on Gaudi in the section on the Gothic Revival, stating, 'The allotted space has run out. I would like to continue this Gothic journey with you, the readers, from Catalonia in a future manuscript.'
The Chikuma Bunko edition includes an addendum on Gaudi and is billed as the complete version. If you are going to read it now, I highly recommend the Chikuma Bungei Bunko edition.
Third reading. When one thinks of Ken Sakai, one thinks of Bataille, and indeed, Bataille's concepts of expenditure and eroticism are employed in this book as well. The attempt to grasp Gothic architecture within the context of Western spiritual history, rather than from an architectural perspective, is a very characteristic and interesting approach by the author.
Gothic was derived from the agricultural reforms in Northern Europe, where forests were cleared to increase farmland. It explores the emergence of cities, the longing for lost nature, and the conflict and fusion between systematic Christianity and unrestrained indigenous religions.
Against the backdrop of such spiritual history, the book thrillingly depicts the historical drama of the birth, suffering, and revival of the Gothic style.
While I felt that the connection suggesting the Gothic Revival movement extended as far as the Impressionist painter Monet might be a bit of a stretch, overall, it is very interesting.
In particular, the first chapter, 'The Birth of Gothic,' clearly traces the emergence and development of the Gothic style and is well worth reading. It is very educational.
On the other hand, there are some criticisms in the Amazon user reviews, and those points are also helpful. It seems there are still many important things not touched upon in this book. I need to study more.
After reading this book last time, I read Mâle's 'Religious Art in France of the Thirteenth Century.' That was a great help for this third reading. I need to re-read that one as well.