Mystery and Matter
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Mystery and Matter Studies in Religion and the Arts Editorial Board James Najarian Boston College Eric Ziolkowski Lafayette College VOLUME 3 Mystery and Matter On the relationship between liturgy and architecture in the thought of Dom Hans van der Laan osb (1904–1991) By Michel Remery LEIDEN • BOSTON 2011 Cover illustration: Miniature from the ‘Bible Moralisée’, 13th. c., Österreichische Nationalbibliothek Wien (Cod.2554, fol.I.v). Imprimatur: Mgr A.H. van Luyn sdb, Bishop of Rotterdam, 18 March 2010. This book is printed on acid-free paper. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Remery, Michel (Michel Petrus) Mystery and matter : on the relationship between liturgy and architecture in the thought of Dom Hans van der Laan OSB (1904-1991) / by Michel Remery. p. cm. — (Studies in religion and the arts ; 3) Based on the author’s thesis (doctoral)—Pontifical Gregorian University. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 978-90-04-18296-7 (hardback : alk. paper) 1. Laan, Hans van der—Criticism and interpretation. 2. Architecture— Composition, proportion, etc. 3. Liturgy and architecture. 4. Church architecture. 5. Catholic Church—Liturgy. I. Title. II. Title: On the relationship between liturgy and architecture in the thought of Dom Hans van der Laan OSB (1904–1991). III. Series. NA1153.L3R46 2010 246’.9—dc22 ISSN 1877–3192 ISBN 978 90 04 18296 7 Copyright 2011 by Koninklijke Brill NV, Leiden, The Netherlands. Koninklijke Brill NV incorporates the imprints Brill, Hotei Publishing, IDC Publishers, Martinus Nijhoff Publishers and VSP. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, translated, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior written permission from the publisher. Authorization to photocopy items for internal or personal use is granted by Koninklijke Brill NV provided that the appropriate fees are paid directly to The Copyright Clearance Center, 222 Rosewood Drive, Suite 910, Danvers, MA 01923, USA. Fees are subject to change. Dilectis parentibus CONTENTS List of Illustrations ............................................................................ xi Acknowledgements ............................................................................ xix Abbreviations ..................................................................................... xxi Introduction ........................................................................................ 1 The 20th century context: a search for renewal ...................... 3 a. The liturgical movement ..................................................... 4 b. Developments in architecture ........................................... 7 Van der Laan’s Approach ............................................................ 11 Sources used by Van der Laan .................................................... 12 Objective ......................................................................................... 13 Sources ............................................................................................ 13 Structure .......................................................................................... 16 Chapter I Biography of Dom Hans van der Laan osb (1904–1991) .................................................................................... 19 1.1. Introduction .......................................................................... 19 1.2. Birth and family ................................................................... 20 1.3. A triple preparation phase (1904–1929) .......................... 29 1.3.1. ‘Looking’—Nature (1904–1922) Leiden ................ 29 1.3.2. ‘Making’—Society (1922–1927) Delft .................... 32 1.3.3. ‘Praying’—Liturgy (1927–1929) Oosterhout ........ 41 1.4. Monastic life in the tradition of Solesmes (1929–1991) ........................................................................... 49 1.4.1. Oosterhout (1929–1968) .......................................... 50 1.4.2. Vaals (1968–1991) .................................................... 103 1.4.3. Death ........................................................................... 121 1.5. Evaluation .............................................................................. 125 Chapter II Liturgy .......................................................................... 127 2.1. Introduction .......................................................................... 127 2.2. Vormenspel: compendium, synthesis, and guide ............ 132 2.2.1. Two definitions ......................................................... 132 2.2.2. Nature, society and liturgy ...................................... 137 2.2.3. Functional, expressive and monumental forms ... 145 viii contents 2.2.4. The principle of liturgical form .............................. 151 2.3. Evolution of the cardinal elements ................................... 154 2.3.1. The three form-worlds and form-types ................ 155 2.3.2. Some important dyads ............................................. 163 2.3.3. Ima summis: the centrality of the Incarnation 173 2.4. Excursus: Ad orientem ......................................................... 177 2.5. Concluding remarks ............................................................ 185 2.5.1. The sources of an independent thinker ................ 185 2.5.2. Liturgy as a form of play? ....................................... 186 2.5.3. Evaluation .................................................................. 188 Chapter III Towards a theory of architecture ........................... 191 3.1. Introduction .......................................................................... 191 3.2. ‘Making’ according to Van der Laan ................................ 194 3.2.1. The nucleus of the plastic number (1960) ............ 194 3.2.2. The crystallisation of a theory (1977) .................... 202 3.2.3. The culmination of a theory (1989) ....................... 232 3.3. Constants and variables: the cardinal elements .............. 236 3.3.1. The foundations of pure architecture .................... 236 3.3.2. The divine foundations of architecture? ............... 245 3.3.3. Some important dyads ............................................. 254 3.4. Excursus: The plastic number and the golden section ... 262 3.5. Concluding remarks ............................................................ 266 3.5.1. The objective principle of proportion ................... 266 3.5.2. Why is the theory so little known? ........................ 269 3.5.3. Evaluation .................................................................. 273 Chapter IV Liturgy and architecture: plastic designs ............... 275 4.1. Introduction .......................................................................... 275 4.2. Architectural designs ........................................................... 278 4.2.1. A search for pure design ......................................... 278 4.2.2. Four examples ........................................................... 278 4.2.3. A plastic expression in scale models ...................... 311 4.2.4. Synthesis ...................................................................... 314 4.3. Liturgical vestments .............................................................. 314 4.3.1. A quest for simplicity ............................................... 314 4.3.2. A theory of vestment-making ................................. 320 4.3.3. The form of liturgical vestments ............................. 331 contents ix 4.3.4. Religious habits and civilian clothing .................... 342 4.3.5. Synthesis ...................................................................... 348 4.4. Sacred vessels ......................................................................... 348 4.4.1. A search for noble elegance ..................................... 348 4.4.2. A theory of vessel making ....................................... 351 4.4.3. The form of sacred vessels ....................................... 353 4.4.4. Furniture and other objects ..................................... 356 4.4.5. Synthesis ...................................................................... 360 4.5. Concluding remarks ............................................................. 361 4.5.1. The foundations of the theory and its applicability ................................................................ 361 4.5.2. The proportions of the plastic number ................. 363 4.5.3. Evaluation ................................................................... 366 Table 1: Development of architectural designs ....... following p. 366 Table 2: Development of the form of the chalice ... following p. 366 Chapter V In the light of the sources ......................................... 367 5.1. Introduction ........................................................................... 367 5.2. The Benedictine tradition .................................................... 369 5.2.1. St Benedict .................................................................. 369 5.2.2. Dom Guéranger and Mme Bruyère ....................... 373 5.2.3. Dom Delatte and Dom de Puniet de Parry .......... 377 5.2.4. Other Benedictine sources ....................................... 382 5.3. Monastic training: Scripture and Tradition ..................... 386 5.3.1. Scripture ...................................................................... 386 5.3.2. Liturgy and rubrics