The Portfolio of Villard de Honnecourt
A New Critical Edition and Color Facsimile
by
Carl F. Barnes, Jr.
a Special Publication in the Series
AVISTA Studies in the History of Medieval Technology, Science and Art

Drawing 1

"Chevets with double ambulatories were not common in Villard’s time, and certainly not in his geographic area." Carl F. Barnes, Jr.

Drawing 2
Subject
Plan of the Chevet of the Cathedral of St. Etienne, Meaux

Villard, Cathédral de Meaux

Commentary

"Hand III misidentified the plan as that of the now-destroyed church St. Faron at Meaux rather than that of St. Etienne, the cathedral church, despite the fact that the correct dedicatory name is given in Villard’s text. This seemingly proves that Hand III did not have access to Villard, did not know the plan of the cathedral, and was careless. It has been inaccurately reported that Villard claimed credit for the Meaux chevet.

Today Meaux has five radiating chapels but originally had three isolated chapels, as Villard’s drawing shows. Gautier de Varinfroy rebuilt the three chapels in the Rayonnant style in the 1250s. Beginning in 1317 a chapel was built between each of Gautier’s chapels, thus Villard’s plan is a valuable archaeological document whose general configuration confirms the original chevet arrangement at Meaux. Its details are not accurate. In Kurmann’s words, “… the fragrant inaccuracy of all the details proves in a most evident way that the plan [of Villard] is not an exact layout, but a simple sketch.” Still, Villard observed correctly the polygonal plan of the chapels at the level of the windows and this is the only plan in the portfolio in which he has indicated the windows." Carl F. Barnes, Jr.