Paris and Her Cathedrals by R. Howard Bloch (review)

Reviewed by: Paris and Her Cathedrals by R. Howard Bloch Erika E. Hess Bloch, R. Howard. Paris and Her Cathedrals. Liveright, 2022. ISBN 978-1-63149-392-8. Pp. xviii + 342. In this illustrated volume, the French literature scholar R. Howard Bloch leads the reader on a historical, architectural, and artistic walking tour through six of the greatest cathedrals in Paris and the surrounding region: Saint-Denis, Notre-Dame, Chartres, Sainte-Chapelle, Amiens, and Reims. Structured in the same order as the visits that Bloch has led for years with his students, and designed to bridge the gap between scholarly works and popular tour guides, Bloch sets out to write an introduction to the history of Gothic cathedral art and architecture that will also provide "new ways of looking," even for those who are already knowledgeable in the field (xiv). In addition to explaining fundamentals of Gothic cathedral construction, Bloch introduces the reader to basic terminology and includes a glossary of terms. Each chapter includes many photographs, taken by Bloch himself, that accompany and illustrate the works that he analyzes. Throughout, Bloch highlights details in a conversational tone that guides the reader to notice artistic and architectural fine points. In the chapter on Sainte-Chapelle, for example, after noting that the 129 panels of the Esther window are "difficult in places to follow" (191), Bloch draws the reader's attention to an important stained-glass sequence: "The viewer should nonetheless stop before this significant rendering of King Ahasuerus's repudiation of his wife and taking of Esther" (191). Bloch summarizes the story and discusses key details in the stained-glass: "In the middle left of the second row of oval and half-oval panels, Ahasuerus places a crown upon the head of his new queen" (192). He then extends his reading of the stained-glass panels from the Persian court to twelfth-century France (192). Building on his analysis, Bloch guides the reader to notice parallels between the court intrigues of the ancients and the challenges that plagued Louis and Blanche: "In a subplot which fills the third row of ovals from the bottom and the left half of the fourth row, Mordecai, who has discovered the plot of two courtiers to kill the king, transmits this information to Esther who informs the potential victim" (193). Bloch extends his analysis to connect the power struggle at the Persian court with the "plotting courtiers" in the court of Louis XIV, the barons of Poitiers who allied themselves with King Henry III of England, and other challenges that beset Louis and Blanche (193). Similarly, Bloch layers his analysis throughout the book. Moving from an introduction to the architecture, art, and society of the cathedrals to close readings of noteworthy works, he situates and highlights significant cultural concepts or moments. Additionally, Bloch discusses the way that cathedrals have fared over the centuries, including the recent fire of Notre Dame. He supplements his own detailed analyses with links to websites of archival materials and supplementary images of each cathedral. This book will be of great interest to students and scholars of medieval French art, architecture, and culture, and could be used as a travel guide as well as a resource for study. End Page 109 Erika E. Hess Northern Arizona University Copyright © 2024 American Association of Teachers of French