The Human Sciences Encounters in Phnom Penh

HSEPP’s conference

“THE KHMER PAGODA. The 100 most Ancient Sanctuaries in Cambodia…and a few more”

By: Danielle Guéret and Dominique Pierre Guéret

Date: 12 December 2017 at 6:00 PM

In the Dancing hall of Royal University of Fine Arts, in French with khmer translation

Biodata:

Danielle GUÉRET, Honorary Lecturer at the École du Louvre in Paris, and at the Royal University of Fine Arts in Phnom Penh from 1992 to 2006 and 2010-2012.

- PhD in archeology

- PhD in history of art

Publications

- L’Art Khmer. Reflets des civilisations d’Angkor, Somogy, 1997 ;

- Le Cambodge. Une introduction à la connaissance du pays khmer, Kailash, 1998 ;

- Cambodge, Art, Histoire, Société, co-author with Dominique Pierre Guéret, Actes Sud / Imprimerie nationale, 2009.

Dominique Pierre GUÉRET, Retired French General, co-lead administrator of UNTAC, 1992-1993. UNDP head of mine clearance organization in Cambodia: 2000-2006.

- PhD in history of art

Publications

- Cambodge, Art, Histoire, Société, co-author with Danielle Guéret, Actes Sud / Imprimerie nationale, 2009.

Abstract:

During a field work from 2004 to 2015, Dominique Pierre Guéret analyzed the architecture and Danielle Guéret the paintings of Cambodian pagodas and they are now publishing a summary of their research in their new book : “The Khmer Pagoda : The 100 most Ancient Sanctuaries in Cambodia ... and a Few More”. Having done a thorough analysis of the architecture and murals, the orators will give some general description of the pagodas, explain the essential themes of these paintings and describe some of the most interesting pagodas built before 1975 that have survived Cambodia's chaotic recent history in the different areas of the Cambodian Kingdom. They identified some 3,000 pagodas in the course of their field work and took pictures of about 2000 of them, among which they selected some 560 vihara built between the XIXth Century and 1973, some 200 of them still having preserved paintings. Sadly, some of those pagodas run the risk of being pulled down by devotees wishing to gain merits, like recently the main pagoda in Kompong Thom city. Key-words: Cambodia, Buddhism, Buddha, Siddhārtha, Rāmāyana, monastery, watt, sanctuary, vihāra, pagoda, architecture, paintings, murals, substrate, French Protectorate, French Indochina.

Contact:

Email: shs.encounters@ird.fr

Tel : 069 570 829