Online Courses (Live sessions - recorded), Upcoming
Level
Exploration: It is preferable to have some basic knowledge of geometric drawing, intermediate level of difficulty.
Duration
2 Live sessions (recorded)
around 3h each
28 & 29 March 2026
4pm Paris Time
Careful Daylight savings starts in France on the 29th of March
About the Pattern
The great rose window of the west façade of Strasbourg Cathedral is a remarkable example of the Rayonnant Gothic style, where stone tracery becomes increasingly refined and luminous. The cathedral itself was built over several centuries, from the 12th to the 15th century, and the great west rose window was assembled in the 14th century, though its design dates from earlier. The rose is organised around sixteen petal-like forms, creating an overall structure based on eightfold radial symmetry, while also incorporating a few elements related to fivefold geometry. The petal shapes themselves reflect an important principle of Gothic design: the broken arch, whose intersecting curves are a defining feature of Gothic architecture and give the window its distinctive floral rhythm.
Course Content
In this course we will construct a simplified geometric version of this rose window, drawing the main tracery structure with a single framework line. We will focus on the rose itself, and a simpler version of the square around the Rose (as shown in the drawing on white paper).
A more exhaustive and detailed version will be the topic of another course (Part 2, details to come).
The course is accessible to beginners, although some prior experience with compass-and-ruler geometry is helpful.
It will take place over two live sessions of about three hours each, with recordings available so participants can follow at their own pace.
During the course we will learn how to divide the circle into multiples of eight, explore a method for dividing it into ten parts to introduce fivefold symmetry, and look at some basic Gothic arch constructions in order to understand the petal shapes of this rose. Part 1 will be required to follow Part 2 (dates to come), which will explore the design in greater depth. Anyone who registered for the previous version of this Strasbourg rose course will automatically have access to this new version (part 1 & 2).
Links to Other Courses
Required Materials
Required:
-A2 paper format or similar recommended for the Rose (A2 is 59,4 x 42 cm) around 120 to 250grs paper weight
(to draw the rose smaller, A3 for example, you would need to be very precise and be used to draw very small circles, around 5mm)
-Standard or drawing paper (120 to 250gsm), A2 (42 x 59,4 cm) OR A3 (29,7 x 42 cm) or equivalent.
-Compass with extension or beam compass, for a radius around 19-20cm
-40cm ruler (or 50)
-Pencil or mechanical pencil (0.5 or 0.3) and eraser
Optional:
-A4 or A3 tracing paper
-A small compass for details
-A few coloured pencils
-Fine liners (can be coloured)
Material Advice Video
Access
Course materials (video recordings, PDFs, images, etc.) will be accessible through your member area on this site.
The recordings will be accessible for several years.
If they need to be taken down, registered participants will be informed several months in advance.