Vox Clamantis in Deserto: Carthusian Experience in the Papal Chapel at Villeneuve (thesis)

Abstract

The scholarship that has dealt with Giovanetti tends to focus on his surviving works in the Palace of the Popes, especially the chapels of St. Martial and St. John. These spaces have survived more or less intact, and they have become the exemplars of Giovanetti’s style . . . however, they do not expound upon the Villeneuve chapel at length and therefore have left behind a significant example of his genius. French scholarship, although more thorough in documenting the history of the charterhouse and its evolution over time, have also neglected to analyze the art executed within the chapel even when they mention its unique nature. Finally, late nineteenth-century publications in architectural gazettes provide a thorough analysis of the site’s structural fabric, but they say little regarding its artwork. The entire charterhouse of Val-de-Bénédiction would be well-served by an English monograph, but I will content myself for now by only covering Innocent VI’s chapel. It is my hope that my analysis will provide a better understanding of this overlooked gem of fourteenth-century art and the context in which pope, painter, and monk collaborated in creating and appreciating its messages. [From Introducing the Monastery)