partial collapse of the tower in 1161. Before the nave was completed, ca. 1180, the
transept was begun. It was completed in the early 13th century and the chevet built 1220–
- Our knowledge of the church comes from a series of drawings and the plan by
Boileux that has been shown to be accurate. The drawing of the exterior from the east by
van der Meulen shows details of the chevet and transept; but the only known interior
view of the nave is one made during the destruction that shows the interior elevation of
the tower.
William W.Clark
Branner, Robert. “The Transept of Cambrai Cathedral.” In Gedenkschrift Ernst Gall, ed. Margarete
Kuhn. Berlin: Deutscher Kunstverlag, 1965, pp. 69–85.
Héliot, Pierre. “La nef et le clocher de l’ancienne cathédrale de Cambrai.” Wallraf-Richartz
Jahrbuch 18(1956):91–110.
Thiébaut, Jacques. La cathédrale disparue de Cambrai et sa place dans l’évolution de
l’architecture du nord de la France. Diss. Université de Lille, 1975.
. “L’iconographie de la cathédrale disparue de Cambrai.” Revue du Nord 58(1976):406–33.
CAMPIN, ROBERT
(ca. 1376–1444). Late-medieval painter whose career is shrouded in mystery because of
limited archival information and few attributed works. He is known principally for his
famous pupil Rogier van der Weyden. Campin’s reputation in Tournai as a master is
substantiated by the positions he held: subdeacon of the goldsmith’s guild, head of the
painter’s guild, and one of the stewards to the city in charge of finances and accounts.
Tournai’s relationship with the Burgundian court ultimately affected Campin’s
production. In one of his earlier works, the Entombment Triptych (1415–20), Campin
displays a knowledge of the italianate painters of the court, such as Malouel and
Bellechose, in his use of gold background and treatment of the angels. Court patronage,
however, did not provide the artists of Tournai with a steady source of income. Instead,
they belonged to guilds and served the city and local clients. Campin’s most famous work
and the one that epitomizes his style is the Merode Altrarpiece (ca. 1425), now at the
Cloisters in New York. Commissioned by the Ingebrecht family, who appear at the left of
the panel, the triptych demonstrates Campin’s skill with disguised symbolism. The
composition teems with mundane objects that acquire meaning in the presence of the
divine. Sadly, Campin’s career suffered greatly in the 1430s, when the pro-Burgundian
faction in Tournai snatched power away from the guilds. In the midst of the conflict,
Campin was arrested and, though he was eventually set free, his career never recovered.
Michelle I.Lapine
[See also: VAN DER WEYDEN, ROGIER]
Frinta, Mojmír S. The Genius of Robert Campin. Paris: Mouton, 1966.
Snyder, James. Northern Renaissance Art. New York: Abrams, 1985.
The Encyclopedia 309