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Abbot Suger and Saint-Denis : a symposium / edited by Paula Lieber Gerson.

Contributor(s): Publication details: New York : Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1986.Description: xv, 303 pages, 1 unnumbered page : illustrations ; 29 cmISBN:
  • 9780810915176
Subject(s):
Contents:
Foreword / Philippe de Montebello -- Preface / Paula Lieber Gerson -- Introduction : Suger's life and personality / John F. Benton -- I. Monastic life. Suger's monastic administration / Giles Constable -- Suger, theology, and the pseudo-dionysian tradition / Grover A. Zinn, Jr. -- The liturgy at Saint-Denis : a preliminary study / Niels Krogh Rasmussen -- II. Political and social history. Suger's views on kingship / Andrew W. Lewis -- Suger and the Capetians / Eric Bournazel -- A note on Suger's understanding of political power / Michel Bur -- Good words, social ties, and the hope for salvation : Abbot Suger and Saint-Denis / Clark Maines -- Suger and the symbolism of royal power : the seal of Louis VII / Brigitte Bedos Rezak -- III. Architecture. Suger's church at Saint-Denis : the state of research / William W. Clark -- What possible sources for the Chevet of Saint-Denis? / Jean Bony -- IV. Library and literature. Suger's literary style and vision / Robert W. Hanning -- History as enlightenment : Suger and the ''Mos anagogicus' / Gabrielle M. Spiegel -- Some new readings of Suger's writings / Philippe Verdier -- The problem of manuscript painting at Saint-Denis during the abbacy of Suger / Harvey Stahl -- V. Sculpture and mosaics. Suger as iconographer : the central portal of the west facade of Saint-Denis / Paula Lieber Gerson -- The lateral portals of the west facade of the abbey church of Saint-Denis : archaeological and iconographic considerations / Pamela Z. Blum -- Did Suger build the cloister at Saint-Denis? / Léon Pressouyre -- The mosaic pavement of the Saint Firmin chapel at Saint-Denis : Alberic and Suger / Xavier Barral i Altet -- VI. Stained glass and metalwork. Suger's glass at Saint-Denis : the state of research / Madeline Harrison Caviness -- The style of the stained-glass windows of Saint-Denis / Louis Grodecki -- Suger's liturgical vessels / Danielle Gaborit-Chopin -- Traditional forms in Suger's contributions to the treasury of Saint-Denis / William D. Wixom.
Summary: Suger, abbot of the French abbey of Saint-Denis, lived from 1081 to 1151. This book of essays about his life and achievements grew out of a symposium sponsored by the International Center of Medieval Art and by Columbia University ... For the symposium, twenty-three medieval scholars from all parts of the world, representing a wide range of humanistic disciplines, were brought together to discuss the varied nature of Suger's activities. Suger has been best known for his contributions as a patron of art and architecture ... As the essays in this volume devoted to Suger's political activities and historical writings demonstrate, he was, in addition to being a brilliantly innovative patron of architecture, an important architect of the French state. Only by bringing together differing humanistic perspectives on Suger and Saint-Denis has it been possible to achieve, for the first time, a fully rounded appreciation of a man who was, at the same time, a patron of the arts and literature, a politician who adroitly used his ecclesiastical position to enhance the growth and power of the monarchy, and a churchman consistently devoted to the promotion of the cult of Saint-Denis, the patron saint of his abbey and of France.
Holdings
Item type Current library Collection Call number Status Barcode
Book Book CGLAS Library Purple 726.7 GER (Browse shelf(Opens below)) Available 05386

Based on papers presented at a symposium held in 1981 at the Cloisters (in conjunction with an exhibition entitled The Royal Abbey of Saint-Denis in the time of Abbot Suger (1122-1151) and at Columbia University, sponsored by the International Center for Medieval Art and the Medieval and Renaissance Interdisciplinary Studies Committee of Columbia University.

Includes bibliographical references.

Foreword / Philippe de Montebello -- Preface / Paula Lieber Gerson -- Introduction : Suger's life and personality / John F. Benton -- I. Monastic life. Suger's monastic administration / Giles Constable -- Suger, theology, and the pseudo-dionysian tradition / Grover A. Zinn, Jr. -- The liturgy at Saint-Denis : a preliminary study / Niels Krogh Rasmussen -- II. Political and social history. Suger's views on kingship / Andrew W. Lewis -- Suger and the Capetians / Eric Bournazel -- A note on Suger's understanding of political power / Michel Bur -- Good words, social ties, and the hope for salvation : Abbot Suger and Saint-Denis / Clark Maines -- Suger and the symbolism of royal power : the seal of Louis VII / Brigitte Bedos Rezak -- III. Architecture. Suger's church at Saint-Denis : the state of research / William W. Clark -- What possible sources for the Chevet of Saint-Denis? / Jean Bony -- IV. Library and literature. Suger's literary style and vision / Robert W. Hanning -- History as enlightenment : Suger and the ''Mos anagogicus' / Gabrielle M. Spiegel -- Some new readings of Suger's writings / Philippe Verdier -- The problem of manuscript painting at Saint-Denis during the abbacy of Suger / Harvey Stahl -- V. Sculpture and mosaics. Suger as iconographer : the central portal of the west facade of Saint-Denis / Paula Lieber Gerson -- The lateral portals of the west facade of the abbey church of Saint-Denis : archaeological and iconographic considerations / Pamela Z. Blum -- Did Suger build the cloister at Saint-Denis? / Léon Pressouyre -- The mosaic pavement of the Saint Firmin chapel at Saint-Denis : Alberic and Suger / Xavier Barral i Altet -- VI. Stained glass and metalwork. Suger's glass at Saint-Denis : the state of research / Madeline Harrison Caviness -- The style of the stained-glass windows of Saint-Denis / Louis Grodecki -- Suger's liturgical vessels / Danielle Gaborit-Chopin -- Traditional forms in Suger's contributions to the treasury of Saint-Denis / William D. Wixom.

Suger, abbot of the French abbey of Saint-Denis, lived from 1081 to 1151. This book of essays about his life and achievements grew out of a symposium sponsored by the International Center of Medieval Art and by Columbia University ... For the symposium, twenty-three medieval scholars from all parts of the world, representing a wide range of humanistic disciplines, were brought together to discuss the varied nature of Suger's activities. Suger has been best known for his contributions as a patron of art and architecture ... As the essays in this volume devoted to Suger's political activities and historical writings demonstrate, he was, in addition to being a brilliantly innovative patron of architecture, an important architect of the French state. Only by bringing together differing humanistic perspectives on Suger and Saint-Denis has it been possible to achieve, for the first time, a fully rounded appreciation of a man who was, at the same time, a patron of the arts and literature, a politician who adroitly used his ecclesiastical position to enhance the growth and power of the monarchy, and a churchman consistently devoted to the promotion of the cult of Saint-Denis, the patron saint of his abbey and of France.