Stained Glass from Saint-Jean-Des-Vignes (Soissons) and Comparisons...” the Journal of Glass Studies Vol
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Brill, Robert H., and Patricia Pongracz. “Stained Glass from Saint-Jean-des-Vignes (Soissons) and Comparisons...” The Journal of Glass Studies vol. 46 (2004): 115-144. Stained Glass from Saint-Jean-des-Vignes (Soissons) and Comparisons with Glass from Other Medieval Sites Robert H. Brill and Patricia Pongracz H E ABBEY of Saint-Jean-des-Vignes has glimpsed in the west facade, refectory, and clois- dominated the urban landscape of the ter, all of which still stand on the site. T northern French city of Soissons since Although it has long been known as an im- the 11th century.l Formally established in 1076, portant Gothic monument, the abbey was not the abbey was built, rebuilt, sacked, and re- systematically studied until excavations began stored from its founding to the present day. In in 1982 under the auspices of MonArch, the its Gothic phase, the church measured more Wesleyan-Brown Monastic Archaeology Proj- than 86 meters in length, and its west facade ect. Excavation and research have focused on stood 80 meters at its tallest point. The monas- the Romanesque and Gothic churches, claustral tic complex, built to accommodate 90 resident ranges, latrine building, and the abbey's com- canons, effectively communicated the status of plex water management system. the community within the region.2 From their Surviving sculptural and painted decoration, hilltop in Soissons, the canons administered their as well as excavated sculpture, plaster, wall- holdings, consisting of more than 40 parishes painting fragments, and tiled floors, attests to and nearly 20 farms and mills. 3 Today, rem- the nature of the decoration at the abbey dur- nants of the abbey's Gothic splendor may be ing each of its major phases.4 The recovery of Acknowledgments. Like all collaborative effortS, this project History, ed. Sheila Bonde and Clark Maines, v. 15 of Bibliothe- is the work of many people and several institutions. We are es- ca Victorina, Turnhom: Brepols, 2003. Field reports for all ex- pecially grateful to Profs. Sheila Bonde of Brown University and cavation seasons from 1994 are available online at the MonArch Clark Maines of Wesleyan University, directors of the research Web site, www.wesleyan.edu/monarch. project at Saint-Jean-des-Vignes. We extend our thanks to Jean- 2. For the number of canons li ving there, see Sheila Bonde, Olivier Guilhot, former conservateur regional of the Service Re- Edward Boyden, and Clark Maines, "Centrality and Commu- gional de I' Archeologie de Picardie, and Dominique Roussel, nity: Liturgy and Gothic Chapter Room Design at the Augus- conservateur of the Musee Municipal de Soissons, who made the tinian Abbey of Saint-Jean-des-Vignes, Soissons," Gesta, v. 29, samples avai lable for examination and analys is. We also thank no. 2, 1990, pp. 210-211. Bonde and Maines have aptly char- the numerous donors of the glass fragments from the other sites acterized the architecture at Saint-Jean-des-Vignes, stating that included in the statistical calculations. Those donors are named the west facade in particular "gave material form to the spiritu- in the original publication of our data (see note 14). The field - al and political ambitions of its community," in Saint-Jean-des work of Patricia Pongracz on the abbey's stained glass was sup- Vignes [note 1], p. 189. ported by the Wesleyan-Brown Monastic Archaeology Project at 3. For the abbey's holdings, see Edward Boyden and Clark the Augustinian abbey of Saint-Jean-des-Vignes (MonArch) and Maines, "Monastic Settlement and the Abbey's Domain," in by a Rakow Grant for Glass Research, which was awarded to Saint-Jean-des- Vignes [note 1], pp. 84-116. her by The Corning Museum of Glass in 1999. Stephen Koob 4. For the tile floors in the chapter room, see Sheila Bonde, helped with the sample preparations, and Shana Wilson assisted V. Durey-Blary, and Clark Maines, "Soissons, un pavement go- in handling the data and creating the graphs. Both are with The thique a Saint-Jean-des-Vignes," Arche%gia, no. 308, 1995, Corning Museum of Glass. pp. 40-48. For the character of the Romanesque and Gothic 1. On Saint-Jean, see, most recently, Saint-Jean-des-Vignes decorative programs, see Saint-Jean-des-Vignes [note 1], pp. in Soissons: Approaches to Its Architecture, Archaeology and 170, 171, and 236. 115 Rakow Research Library, The Corning Museum of Glass - http://www.cmog.org Brill, Robert H., and Patricia Pongracz. “Stained Glass from Saint-Jean-des-Vignes (Soissons) and Comparisons...” The Journal of Glass Studies vol. 46 (2004): 115-144. numerous stained glass fragments at Saint-Jean was examined, along with fragments revealed confirms that glazing programs formed part of by the MonArch project excavations conduct- the abbey's overall decorative schema. ed between 1982 and 1996. The "195111952" To appreciate the study of the glass found on fragments, measuring 7,707 cm2, became the the site, a brief overview of the abbey's use and standard against which glasses recovered by changes to its structure over time will be helpful. MonArch were compared. The glass recovered Shortly after its foundation in 1076, a Roman- between 1982 and 1996 was measured in two esque abbey was built. This was followed, in the ways. The main sample numbered 2,278 frag- 13th century, by an ambitious Gothic building ments, and another group of fragments had a campaign that lasted well into the 15th century. surface area of about 8,000 cm2• All of the glass- Glazing programs surely would have been incor- es were examined by one of the authors (P.P.). porated into such a church, and they may have This article presents the results of a chemical been included in the refectory, chapter room, study of some of these fragments. lO cloister, and abbot's room.s On the basis of visual analysis in the field lab- In 1567, Huguenots sacked the abbey, pre- oratory during the 1998 season, all of the glass- sumably knocking out much of the stained es were separated into two categories: grisaille glass. 6 From 1796 through 1976, the French and stained glass. The fragments in each cate- army used Saint-Jean as a military base, altering gory were classified according to the following the site to accommodate its needs.? The church criteria: color, presence or absence of decora- itself, with the exception of the west facade, was tion, style of decoration where present, nature sold by the bishop of Soissons for quarry stone of grozing, thickness, and weathering.ll Exam- early in the 19th century.s During the war of ples of all types were measured and drawn.12 1870 and World War I, the abbey, like much of Three types of grisaille glass were excavated Soissons in general, suffered severe damage.9 at the abbey. There are also stained glasses of The result of all these changes is that none of the four different colors, silver-stained glasses, and glass is left in situ. two pieces of glass that bear fragmentary fig- During the 1998 study season at Saint-Jean, ural and foliate motifs. In addition, one intact a large group of fragments labeled "195111952" panel was found. On the basis of style and con- 5. For the phased site plan, see Saint-jean-des-Vignes [note des-Vignes," at the International Conference of the Corpus 1], fig. 38. Vitrearum Medii Aevi, Bristol, England, in 2000, and as the 6. Archeological evidence suggests substantive damage to the papers "Scientific Investigations of Glass Excavated at the site. See ibid., p. 33, and p. 34, n. 19. Abbey of Saint-Jean-des-Vignes: Toward a Chronology of the 7. Ibid., p. 18, and p. 43, n. 30. Glazing Programs," XIX International Congress on Glass, Ed- 8. Bonde, Boyden, and Maines [note 2], p. 190; Sheila Bonde inburgh, Scotland, 2001, and "Scientific Investigations of and Clark Maines, "Saint-Jean-des-Vignes: An Augustinian Ab- Glass Excavated at the Abbey of Saint-Jean-des-Vignes," The bey in Soissons, France," Archeology, v. 40, no. 5, September- Robert Branner Forum for Medieval Art, Columbia University, October 1987, p. 46. New York, 2002. 9. For a description of damage sustained by the glazing pro- 11. Results of the field study were summarized by P. Pon- gram of Soissons Cathedral as a result of wars and the city's mil- gracz in "Vitrail," part of "Saint-Jean-des-Vignes a Soissons: itary occupation, see Madeline Caviness and Elizabeth Pastan, Fouilles programmees de I'ancienne abbaye, Soissons (Aisne). "The Gothic Window from Soissons: A Reconsideration," Fen- Deuxieme rapport provisoire du mobilier des fouilles 1982- way Court, Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, 1983, Boston: 1996," ed. S. Bonde and C. Maines, unpublished report of the the museum, 1984, pp. 7 and 9; and Jane Hayward and WaI- 1998 study season, pp. 20-25. ter Cahn, Radiance and Reflection: Medieval Art from the 12. Analytic drawings were rendered by Nathaniel Stein and Raymond Pitcairn Collection, New York: The Metropolitan Sheila Bonde. In addition to counting the fragments, the surface Museum of Art, 1982, pp. 138-139. Bonde and Maines note area of each one was measured, a method employed by Rose- damage sustained by the abbey during these times, in Saint- mary Cramp ("Window Glass from the Monastic Site of Jarrow: jean-des-Vignes [note 1], p. 39. Problems of Interpretation," journal of Glass Studies, v. 17, 10. Preliminary results of this research were presented in a 1975, pp. 90-92). poster session, " The Excavated Stained Glass of Saint-Jean- 116 Rakow Research Library, The Corning Museum of Glass - http://www.cmog.org Brill, Robert H., and Patricia Pongracz.