Canterbury Cathedral and its Romanesque Sculpture

This book covers in detail, both textually and visually, the sculptural decoration of Canterbury Cathedral from the Norman Conquest to Becket. At no other site in England can the full sequence of 11th- and 12th-century sculptural styles be followed so continuously, and few English cathedrals can boast a range of carving from this period of such consistently high quality. Through extensive use of documents, of accounts by contemporary observers, and above all of impressive and exciting illustrative material, the author traces the development of the Romanesque from its sources in Northern France, its influences from Germany and Italy, and discusses its interaction with indigenous English styles. Canterbury's sculptural decoration is placed in the context of the history and development of the primacy of England, and highlights the personalities of the archbishops that determined its status.