Monumental Failures, session at the 52nd International Congress on Medieval Studies, Western Michigan University, May 11–14, 2017

In 1284, part of the choir of Beauvais cathedral dramatically collapsed during construction. This event would go on to alter the plan of one of the most ambitious building projects of the Middle Ages. Like Beauvais, greater and lesser failures throughout the Middle Ages served as the inspiration, motivation, and impetus for artistic change and development. Given the nature of failure, unsuccessful creations do not always leave a lasting mark. Nevertheless, the impact of failure is evident in subsequent artistic creation. Because of this relative obscurity, “failure” has seldom been explored in a field focused on the great artistic achievements of the past.

We hope to address this lacuna by offering an opportunity for young scholars to present research on the less-than-successful endeavors of medieval artisans, both large and small. We invite papers engaging with various incarnations of failure (alteration, incompletion, destruction, rejection, collapse, etc.) as approaches to artistic production or interpretation.

Organizers
Dustin Aaron
Katherine Werwie

Panel sponsored by International Center of Medieval Art, Student Committee.