Architecture of Silence: Cistercian Abbeys of France (Hardcover)

by Terryl Kinder (Author), Terry N. Kinder (Introduction)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
The early Cistercian abbeys of France have long been revered for their harmoniously proportioned spaces and ethereal acoustics. Together with the great cathedrals, these remarkable medieval buildings embody the profound mastery of architecture that blossomed in 12th- and 13th-century France. Architecture of Silence is the first book in English devoted solely to these exquisite structures, which draw tens of thousands of visitors of all nationalities each year.

The power and beauty of these sacred buildings and ruins, renowned among architects and designers for their austere, almost minimal design and construction, come alive in David Heald's luminous tritone photographs. The text by Terryl N. Kinder, the world's leading scholar on the subject, offers a clear introduction to the history and architecture of the early Cistercian monks, who built the abbeys nearly 900 years ago.

DAVID HEALD, chief photographer at the Guggenheim Museum in New York, has been photographing art, architecture, and the natural landscape for 25 years. His work is in numerous private and public collections, including the Cleveland Museum of Art and the Bibliothque Nationale, Paris, and has appeared in many books and magazines. He lives in Redding, Connecticut.

TERRYL N. KINDER is a medieval architectural historian and archaeologist who has served as a consultant to the restoration of Cistercian abbeys in France, Italy, and England. She has taught at Nazareth College in Rochester, the Universit de Bretagne, Rennes, and at Paris-I Sorbonne. An associate of the Institute of Historical Research in London, she divides her time between Pontigny, France, and St. John's, Newfoundland, Canada.

98 tritone photographs, 93/4 x 12"

Product Details

• Hardcover: 152 pages
• Publisher: Harry N. Abrams (October 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0810941163
• ISBN-13: 978-0810941168
• Product Dimensions: 12.3 x 10.2 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #339,399 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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  #87 in	Books > Arts & Photography > Architecture > Building Types & Styles > Religious Buildings
  #96 in	Books > Arts & Photography > Photography > Travel > Europe

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

27 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A spiritual feast for the eyes and the soul !, December 18, 2000

By	"bastion-" (MD USA) - See all my reviews

I was on a spiritual pilgrimage in France in October 2000, and I toured most of the abbeys that are featured in this book. I did not see this book until after I returned from France, and I must admit that the photos in this text are the most impressive of all the books that I have viewed on Cistercian architecture. I love this book ! The photographer has been able to capture the peace, simplicity, and soul of these medieval monuments. How many photography books actually bring your spirit to a deeper level of tranquility? This one surely will. The introduction is beautifully written and was composed by The expert and scholar of Cistercian architecture. I also recommend another excellent book on this subject: Cistercians: Monks and Monasteries of Europe, by Stephen Tobin.

23 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Impressions to die for., January 9, 2001

By A Customer

Heald is head photographer for the Guggenheim Museum of New York. He is far more than an expert photographic technician, however. The book exemplifies uncompromisingly conscious, staggeringly sensitive image making. As he composed and developed these images, Heald must have had a vivifying rapport with the same extraordinary source of energy and insight that infused the psyches of the original builders of these Abbeys. Wonderful. Inspiring. Awesome. Excellent essay too.

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Higher Order Of Existence, June 16, 2001

By	Dr Lawrence Hauser (NYC, NY USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Architecture of Silence is a finely wrought volume of exceptional interest and beauty. Its temporal actuality immediately evokes the devotional themes which are contained within its pages. The book feels like a sacred text which was printed and bound by hand, out of love.

Cistercian cenobites understood that interior spaces were at least as significant and meaningful in the natural order of things as surface manifestations. They believed that divinity resides in places that cannot necessarily be seen or immediately sensed. Architecture Of Silence conveys splendidly the essence of this belief as expressed through the physical monuments they created in worship.