Mont-Saint-Michel and Chartres . Le Mans dream of suggesting a correction to anybody, may not venture to sug-gest an idea of any sort to an architect; but if it were allowed to para-phrase Viollet-le-Ducs words into a more or less emotional or twelfth-century form, one might say, after him, that, compared with Parisor Laon, the Chartres apse shows the same genius that is shownin the Chartres rose; the same large mind that overrules, — the samestrong will that defies difficulties. The Chartres apse is as entertaining ROSES AND APSES 127 as all the other Gothic apses together, because it overrid
Mont-Saint-Michel and Chartres . Le Mans dream of suggesting a correction to anybody, may not venture to sug-gest an idea of any sort to an architect; but if it were allowed to para-phrase Viollet-le-Ducs words into a more or less emotional or twelfth-century form, one might say, after him, that, compared with Parisor Laon, the Chartres apse shows the same genius that is shownin the Chartres rose; the same large mind that overrules, — the samestrong will that defies difficulties. The Chartres apse is as entertaining ROSES AND APSES 127 as all the other Gothic apses together, because it overrides thearchitect. You may, if you really have no imagination whatever,reject the idea that the Virgin herself made the plan; the feeblenessof our fancy is now congenital, organic, beyond stimulant or strych-. Chartres nine, and we shrink like sensitive-plants from the touch of a visionor spirit; but at least one can still sometimes feel a womans taste,and in the apse of Chartres one feels nothing else. CHAPTER VIII THE TWELFTH-CENTURY GLASS AT last we are face to face with the crowning glory of churches have glass, — quantities of it, and very fine,—but we have been trying to catch a glimpse of the glory which standsbehind the glass of Chartres, and gives it quality and feeling of itsown. For once the architect is useless and his explanations are pitiable;the painter helps still less; and the decorator, unless he works in glass,is the poorest guide of all, while, if he works in glass, he is sure to leadwrong; and all of them may toil until Pierre Mauclercs stone Christcomes to life, and condemns them among the unpardonable sinners onthe southern portal, but neither they nor any other artist will evercreate another Chartres. You had better stop here, once for all, unlessy
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1910, booksubjectmiddleages, bookyear1
