Having taken as long as I have to complete this project means that I must thank numerous people and institutions. This thesis would not have been possible without the generous financial support of the Department of the History of Art at Yale University. In particular, grants from the Crosby Fund made summer trips, a year at Paray, and a year writing in New Haven possible. A bourse from the Alliance Française de New York was also instrumental in making a year's stay abroad feasible. A grant from the Powers Fund at Oberlin College helped expand my research beyond Paray by defraying travel costs to other sites.
The outstanding collections of the libraries at Yale University facilitated my initial research. What the libraries could not provide was diligently sought out by the staff of Yale's Interlibrary Loan Office. The Kenneth Conant Archive of the Loeb Library of the Graduate School of Design at Harvard University was a important source for photographs of both Cluny and Paray. The Bibliothèque Nationale, the Archives Nationales, and the Archives de la Commission des Monuments Historiques all in Paris and the Archives Départmentales for the Saône-et-Loire in Mâcon were the sources for crucial documentary material and secondary sources unavailable elsewhere.
At Paray, the Père de Saint-Germain and his parish suffered through my continual presence for most of a year. Michel Jantzen, formerly architecte-en-chef of Paray, granted complete access to the building. Bernard Perusson took me to sites I would not have known about otherwise. Mlle H. Bouteloup provided me rare published material I did not think was still available. Michel Sarazin gave me for access to a dark room. During the restoration of Paray during the winter and spring of 1985-86, the firm of Tué S. A. of Figeac allowed me to use their scaffolding. The firm's employees also patiently answered all my questions about stone, stonecutting and restoration.
At Cluny, Jean-Denis Salveque granted access to the remains of the abbey church. The staff at the abbey continually opened doors and exchanged ideas. Michel Bouillot shared his knowledge of Burgundian Romanesque. Hélène Tomaszczyk guided me through the rich material at the Musée Ochier. Brigitte Maurice formerly the conservatrice of the Musée Ochier and then the Musée Rolin in Autun not only permitted access to the material at Cluny, but also debated my ideas.
Christian Sapin was my sponsor in France. Pamela Z. Blum loaned me her portable scaffolding. Anne Higonnet provided a place to stay in Paris while doing archive and library work. Walter Berry introduced me to Burgundian Romanesque, the importance of small churches, and archaeological method. It was he who originally suggested Paray as a possible topic. Edson Armi graciously invited me to read a paper at the 1994 Annual Convention of the Society of Architectural Historians that helped me to condense and substantially rethink my ideas concerning Paray's construction sequence. Neil Stratford and David Walsh discussed various aspects of Burgundian Romanesque on numerous occasions.
I was able to make the transition from pen and paper to keyboard and monitor through the patience guidance of William Gilliss, formerly of the Yale School of Architecture. At Reed College, Chris Lasell and especially Marv Dunn guided this DOS project through a Mac environment.
William Diebold and Susan Kane both read sections of the manuscript. Susan Fillin-Yeh read the entire text, discussed many sections in great detail with me and helped make the final product a readable one. While writing the final sections, I received considerable encouragement from Elizabeth Wingrove, Chris Lowe, Jacqueline Dirks and Jennifer Dellner, all fellow Reed College junior faculty also completing their theses. My Dissertation Committee made many important suggestions to an earlier draft of this work.
I also need to acknowledge those people whose influence extends well beyond this project. Charles McClendon has been an important teacher who provided me with key advice at the project's outset. James Morganstern derailed me with another exciting project which ultimately gave me the expertise I needed to understand Paray. Mary-Lyon Dolezal offered much support and encouragement during the later stages of writing. Whitney Stoddard first taught me architectural history, introduced me to medieval architecture, visited Paray with me, and provided numerous photos which aided my study of the building immensely.
I still owe my greatest intellectual debt to Peter Parshall of Reed College, who introduced me to art history seventeen years ago. His recent book, though examining a medium and period different from my own, served as both a model and a source of inspiration. Finally, I must thank my dissertation adviser Walter Cahn who over the past decade has patiently kept me on the right track.
I was especially fortunate in this project to have been supported by two families. In France, during my very first stay in Paray, Mme Marie-Josèphe Buttin opened her house to me after discovering that I had been living in a tent through the wettest May and June she could remember. The following year, she and her large family, particularly her son Pascal, made my stay in Paray especially enjoyable. I regret that Mme Buttin did not live to see the outcome of what she so fervently and unselfishly supported. In the U.S., my parents have stood by me since I began my study of Paray. I particularly appreciated their unstinting support during two difficult periods when I was unemployed and needed to return to Vermont. More than anything else, it was their belief that I should and that I could finish this project that I finally did. And for all this, I dedicate this work to them.
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Send any comments or suggestions to Minott Kerr at:
mkerr@reed.edu