Cathedrals of France by Auguste Rodin, translated by Elisabeth Chase Geissbuhler, 275 pages
The only book by the famed sculptor Auguste Rodin is this celebration of the great Gothic and Romanesque cathedrals of his native land. This last is not incidental - Rodin continually emphasizes the connection between the Gothic and France, viewing Gothic architecture as the natural outgrowth of the French landscape. As this should make clear, the book is neither a travel guide nor a history, but a work of aesthetic and spiritual contemplation, for "Art and religion give humanity all the certainties it needs to live by and which are unknown to epochs dimmed by indifference."
Rodin is not, however, a mere antiquarian. To the contrary, he asserts strongly the continuity between medieval and Renaissance art, and rejects entirely the slavish imitation he detects in the neo-Gothic. His goal is instead to encourage - indeed, evangelize for - the ever deeper study of nature and the great art of the past to inspire and direct the art of the present. "To bind the present with the past is the necessary action. In so doing one will restore wisdom and happiness to the living. Those who possess happiness because they have bowed down to truth do not wish to reserve that treasure for themselves alone."
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