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Gothic Art, pp. 187-198
Gothic heritage: the perfect church, the aesthetics
of structure; verticality of power
Structure and light, the Gothic cathedral as the
Heavenly Jerusalem
Gothic versus Romanesque architecture
Cathedral’s façade
Cathedral’s interior
Stained-glass windows
Flying buttresses
Gothic Sculpture
Progressive detachment from the
building
Freestanding sculpture: the Virgin
The word ‘Gothic’ wasfirst used during theRenaissance, as overtlypejorative,
It derived from thebarbarian Goths whosacked Rome in AD 410and again in 455
It was opposed to thedecorum of Classicalarchitecture
Gothic was rehabilitated inthe religious revival thatfollowed the FrenchRevolution,
as the approved style for newchurches;
Gothic was, in fact, consideredthe only style that was purelyChristian,
without influences from theClassical (pagan) world
James Renwick,
Saint Patrick's
Cathedral,
Construction
Completed: 1879,
New York
John
ROEBLING,
Brooklyn
Bridge, New
York City,
1869 -1883
On the other
hand, Gothic was
extremely
influential for
the modernist
idea of the
beauty of
structure
Cass GILBERT,
Woolworth
Building: view
from the air,
New York, 1913
Finally, the verticality of Gothic
architecture inspired early skyscrapers
- solution to the demographic density of
the modern metropolis
- but also as effective symbols of power
in the urban context
William VAN ALEN,
Chrysler Building
New York, 1930
Skyline of San
Gimignano, Italy 13th
century
Skyline of
Manhattan, USA,
20th century
Exterior:
Reims Cathedral, France, ca.
1225-1290
St-Trophime, Arles, France, ca.
1180
Main characteristics
of Gothic facade:
-Not 1 but 3
monumental
portals, bigger and
much more
decorated
-decoration of
Romanesque
portals was
amplified and
developed
everywhere
(no more the sober
simplicity of
Romanesque
buildings, but
triumphal richness)
Reims Cathedral, France, ca.
1225-1290
St-Trophime, Arles, France, ca.
1180
- More numerous
and larger windows
-Arches and
passages
everywhere:
sense of lightness
(vision of Heavenly
Jerusalem), rather
than volume and
heaviness (solidity)
-Verticality of
pointed arches and
pinnacles
-Proliferation of
images everywhere
more and more
sculptures
Roman style was the
common core of
Romanesque arch.
In the
Mediterranean area
(where the Roman
heritage was
stronger),
Romanesque lasted
for a longer period
The Gothic
architectural
revolution was born
in northern Europe,
and in particular in
northern France
Reims Cathedral, France, ca.
1225-1290
This corresponded to profound changes
in European society during the 13th
century
The center of both intellectual and
religious life shifted
from monasteries in the countryside and
pilgrimage churches to rapidly expanding
cities
While Romanesque Church (Church
Militant) presented itself as the only
solid support and shelter against
earthly ubiquitous evil
The great new Gothic cathedrals
(Church Triumphant) reaching the sky
presented itself as the Heavenly
Jerusalem
Context:
Reims Cathedral, France, ca.
1225-1290
Interior
As in the façade, also in the interior
verticality is the main characteristic of
Gothic architecture
Gothic interiors have a sense of
lightness: heavy stone-walls seem to be
lace-works
Even if in this sense Gothic is the
complete opposite of Romanesque
Its structure is the direct development
of Romanesque structure
Reims Cathedral, France, ca.
1225-1290
The Gothic rib groin
vault is a development
of
Interior
of
Saint-
Sernin,
Toulou
se,
France,
ca.
1070-
1120
The Romanesque
groin vault
however
Here, the groin
vaults of the aisles
had a structural
function: to
buttress the nave’s
barrel vault
Interior of
Saint-
Sernin,
Toulouse,
France, ca.
1070-1120
Gothic rib vault:
important not only for
the structure but also
in the building’s
beauty (decorative
function)
Influence of…
Dome, Great
Mosque,
Cordoba,
Spain, 961-
965
Islamic architecture was
probably also influential in
the Gothic invention of the
pointed arch
The heavy stones of
the vaulting,
however, press not
only downwards
but also sideways
Strong frames
were needed to
keep the whole
structure in shape
Reims Cathedral, France, ca.
1225-1290
Notre-Dame, Paris, France, begun
1163, nave and flying buttresses
ca. 1180-1200Gothic builders introduced
“flying buttresses” that kept
in the nave’s shape from
outside, across the roofs of
the aisles
As the ribs and pointed
arches, the flying buttresses
had a structural function but
also contribute to the vertical
quality, lightness, and
elegance of the exterior
They corresponded to the new
idea of the Church
Triumphant as the
representation on earth of the
Heavenly Jerusalem
Several, large
windows could
be opened
The Gothic Cathedral: light
Abbot Suger described the new
church image as
The realm of “wonderful and
uninterrupted light”
That poured through the “most sacred
windows”
He called the colored light “lux nova”
(new light)
Chartres Cathedral, north transept, Rose
and Lancet, 1220
Despite the vastly increased
size of the windows the
Gothic church is relatively
dark
The apparent contradiction
can be explained:
These windows were not
meant to illuminate the
interior with bright sunlight
But rather to transform
natural light into Suger’s
mystical lux nova
Reims Cathedral, France, ca.
1225-1290
Which was filtered
through the sacred
images and deep colors
of Gothic stained glass
windows
Stained glass shone like
rubies and emeralds that
corresponded to the
description of the
Heavenly Jerusalem
with its gates of pearl, its
priceless jewels, its
streets of pure gold and
glass (Revelation XXI)
Chartres Cathedral, north transept, Rose
and Lancet, 1220
The Passage to freestanding Sculpture
While the Romanesque master of Arles made his
figures of saints were fitted into the architectural
framework,
The master of the northern porch of the Gothic
cathedral of Chartres detached his figures from the
building
They are still extremely rigid: more similar to
columns than to human figures
Old Testament kings and queen,Chartres Cathedral, Chartres, France,ca. 1145-1155
A few decades later, St.
Theodore is more natural
Model?
He is depicted as the ideal
Christian knight
Clothed in the cloak and chain-
mail armor of the Gothic
Crusaders
He is young and long-haired,
he holds his spear firmly in his
right hand, and rests his left
hand on his shield
Still part of the building, it is
however completely detached
from any architectural
element
Saint Theodore, Porch of
the Martyrs (left
doorway), south transept,
Chartres Cathedral,
Chartres, France, ca. 1230
The cult of the Virgin Mary reached a high point in the
Gothic age
She was the one who compassionately interceded with
Christ-Judge for all her faithful
Most French cathedrals of this period were dedicated to the
Virgin (Notre-Dame), symbol of the Church Triumphant
The severity of Romanesque themes stressing the Last
Judgment yielded to the gentleness of Gothic art
in which Mary is the kindly Queen of Heaven
Virgin and Child
(Virgin of Paris),
Notre-Dame, Paris,
France, Early 14th
century, detail
However, it was inside the cathedral that freestanding
statuary was achieved,
with the representation of the most venerated of the figures:
the Virgin
Significantly, as in Greek art, freestanding statuary
corresponded to a new focus on humanity, as
opposed to the previous obsession with afterlife
Praxiteles,
Hermes and the
infant Dionysos,
from the Temple
of Hera,
Olympia, copy
after an original
of ca. 340 BC,
marble
Virgin and
Child (Virgin
of Paris),
Notre-Dame,
Paris, France,
Early 14th
century
Gentle
sinuosity of the
S shape
Focus on the
human
relationship