Raymond Oursel (1921–2008)

I love the Romanesque style of art and architecture: the solid mass of building interiors; the fantasic earth-bound domes, towers and arches of the exteriors; the expressionistic sculptures. To me, it all makes the succeeding Gothic style seem pretty and precious (until you step into a soaring Gothic cathedral).

The photographic plates in this book have fed my love of the mystery and grandeur of Romanesque buildings since I purchased it back in 1995. I finally decided to read the text (slowly, over successive breakfasts!).

The big drawback to me as a reader of this book is that it is a book written by an architect, draws on some technical language, and speaks, at times, purely of architecture. Now, you might think that I had been fairly warned, given that the series is "Architecture of the World". So, at times, I was a little lost in a world of corbels and tunnel vaults, bays and apses. A glossary and/or expalantory diagrams would have vastly improved this book's usefulness to me. To be fair to Oursel, he has not written a book called Romanesque for Dummies. And he does have some great discussion about political, ecclesiastical and cultural contexts and effects. And in the last chapter he discusses the relationship between architecture, sculpture and fresco.

In summary, not a book for the uninitiated. But, if you want some meaty technical discussion, read it. If you want some splendid images (all black and white) of Romanesque architecture, savour it.

Last words: an index would also have been helpful. The book was designed in the late 1960s, and is delightful to look at. Lots of line engravings, and even some maps.… (meer)

Un uomo che ha una famiglia, un lavoro, una vita propria, decide di rinunciare a tutto ciò per un certo tempo, tre mesi, un anno, e di andare per esempio a Santiago de Compostela. Farà trenta, quaranta chilometri al giorno, e in questo modo segnerà la sua vita con un gesto preciso, duro, concreto di penitenza e di gratuità, facendo credito a Dio per sé e per quelli che lascia, affidandosi a Dio e ugualmente agli uomini che incontrerà sulla via. Per tutto il Medioevo, ma ancora fino a pochi secoli orsono, l'idea del pellegrinaggio ha rappresentato una costante della vita cristiana. Raymond Oursel ce ne fa vedere in questo testo tutta la ricchezza e la varietà di forme, i risvolti sociali e artistici, dandoci uno spaccato della società medievale di straordinaria vivacità.

In edicola il 25/02/2006… (meer)