“He who works with his hands is a laborer.
He who works with his hands and his head is a craftsman.
He who works with his hands and his head and his heart is an artist.”
― St. Francis of Assisi

(This post first appeared on Alan’s own website http://www.alanfrostphotography.com)

I came across this quote recently and I couldn’t help but think of some of the truly magnificent cathedral buildings in this country. One in particular came to mind; – Wells Cathedral in Somerset, arguably one of the most beautiful in England and without question a favourite of mine.

Looking down the nave and up towards the Scissor Arches, one can only marvel at the work of the labourer, the craftsman and the artist. The use of hands, heads and hearts are all very evident.

For the historians, the site of Wells Cathedral can be traced back to 705, although construction on the present cathedral began in around 1175. The scissor arches were added in 1338-48 and they resolved a real problem. As well as being quite beautiful they stopped the complete collapse of a tall tower which had been built in 1313 on weak foundations.

Photographically speaking the great Henri Cartier-Bresson said –

‘It is an illusion that photos are made with the camera… they are made with the eye, heart and head’.

Remarkably similar to the quote by St Francis of Assisi don’t you think?