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Rationalizing the Narrative: Theory and Practice in the Nineteenth-Century Restoration of the Windows of the Sainte-Chapelle

1998; University of Chicago Press; Volume: 37; Issue: 2 Linguagem: Inglês

10.2307/767259

2169-3099

Alyce A. Jordan,

Historical Art and Architecture Studies

This study focuses on the windows of the Sainte-Chapelle, whose nineteenth-century restoration was hailed as a model for stained glass. It considers contemporary attitudes regarding glass restoration, particularly those articulated by Violletle-Duc, and examines Gothic Revival theories of responsible restoration, which emphasized systematic documentation of the ensemble's pre-restoration condition, against the realities of a large-scale restoration project. Analysis of the copious verbal and visual documentation which this campaign generated reveals significant disjunctions between restoration theory and practice, while, at the same time, highlighting the project's archival legacy as an important resource for studying a spectrum of issues and attitudes relative to nineteenth-century restoration activities.