Introduction

The Cathedral of Reims underwent a series of dramatic transformations over the course of the thirteenth century, when the earlier building was enlarged and elaborated in a new gothic style. ¹ The essays in this volume focus on aspects of the design, construction history, and visual programs of the north transept (Plate 1) as they were worked out during the first forty or so years of construction, from the first decade of the thirteenth century to the 1250s. These years, which span the archbishoprics of Aubrey de Humbert (1207–1218), Guillaume de Joineville (1219–1226), Henri de Braine (1227–1240), and Juhel de Mathefelon (1245–1250), also included significant historical events that bear upon the cathedral’s construction. Two royal coronations, the first for Louis VIII (r. 1223–1226) in 1223 and the second for Louis IX (r. 1226–1270) in 1226, took place in the cathedral. In the 1230s, revolts of the burghers and citizens of Reims against the cathedral chapter and archbishop-count Henri de Braine impacted the cathedral, halting construction from 1233–1235 when the town was under an interdict. ² Because the latest archaeological evidence of the transept has not been widely available, it has been difficult to coordinate the construction sequence with such socio-historical circumstances. This volume is the first publication to include the new evidence of the transept’s substructures alongside studies of its architecture, sculpture, and stained glass. Taken together, the new studies of the volume allow for greater understanding of the relationship between historical and architectural change at Reims.