Video - How to read a Gothic cathedral façade
Structures of meaning in the French cathedrals
The standard Gothic façade, particularly in the great French cathedrals, uses a regulated schema of different zones of sculpture and architecture to create a web of meaning. In some ways it's an encyclopedia, aiming to show the whole history of the world - from Adam and Eve to the Last Judgment, and from God on high all the way down to how to kill a pig for Christmas or prune the vines for better yield.
In this video, Andrea Kirkby explains how to read these messages. Cathedrals featured include Chartres, Laon, Notre-Dame in Paris, Reims, Rouen, Amiens and Bourges. (You'll also see two non-cathedrals - the church of Nogent le Roi and the Sainte Chapelle in Paris.)
Downloadable video file (wmv format, 6mb)