Late Gothic: England

Early English1190-1290

English Decorated Gothic1290-1350

Perpendicular Style1350-1500

Intermittent French influence here: Early GothicRayonnant

Political map of England - 1066 Political map of England - 1259

I. Alternate forms of Gothicness seen in Early Gothic England

Wells Cathedral, 1180-1240, additions to 1340

I. Alternate forms of Gothicness seen in Early Gothic England

Wells Cathedral

I. Alternate forms of Gothicness seen early in Southwest England

Wells Cathedral

Early Gothic nave Decorated style eastern choir

I. Alternate forms of Gothicness seen in Early Gothic England

Wells Cathedral

Early Gothic nave crossing

Canterbury Cathedral, eastern extension, 1177-84; French William of Sens, architect

II. Reception of ideas from the French capital: Gothic in Southeast England Heterogeneity the norm in England

Canterbury Cathedral, eastern extension

II. Reception of ideas from the French capital: Gothic in Southeast England Heterogeneity the norm in England

II. Reception of ideas from the French capital: Gothic in Southeast England

Canterbury Cathedral, eastern extension

Early Gothic French influence

Westminster Abbey, 1250-72

II. Reception of ideas from the French capital: Gothic in Southeast England Rayonnant French influence

Westminster AbbeySt.-Denis

Ste.-Chapelle

Reims Cathedral

Henry III (r. 1216-71)

II. Reception of ideas from the French capital: Gothic in Southeast England Rayonnant French influence

Westminster Abbey, nave 1250-72

II. Reception of ideas from the French capital: Gothic in Southeast England Rayonnant French influence

Westminster Abbey, nave 1250-72

II. Reception of ideas from the French capital: Gothic in Southeast England Rayonnant French influence

Westminster Abbey, nave 1250-72Reims Cathedral, France

II. Reception of ideas from the French capital: Gothic in Southeast England Rayonnant French influence

Westminster AbbeySte.-Chapelle, Paris

II. Reception of ideas from the French capital: Gothic in Southeast England Rayonnant French influence

III. Late Gothic

Late Gothic trends across Europe (from Wilson):

FragmentationDecline in the universal churchLaicizationIndebtedness to lesser building typesLate phases of any artistic movement

English Gothic window tracery types

The Eleanor crosses erected by King Edward I between 1291 and 1294 in memory of his wife Eleanor of Castile

St. Stephen’s Chapel at Westminster Palace, 1292

III. Late Gothic: Decorated style Laicization

flowing or curvilinear tracery liernes – short decorative ribs used for the first time in St. Stephen’s Chapel

St. Stephen’s Chapel at Westminster Palace, 1292

III. Late Gothic: Decorated style Late style

ogee arches

Octagonal crossing tower of Ely Cathedral, 1322-43

III. Late Gothic: Decorated style

Octagonal crossing tower of Ely Cathedral, 1322-43

III. Late Gothic: Decorated style Laicization

English Perpendicular Style, 1350-1500

Gloucester Cathedral, south transept 1331-36

IV. Perpendicular Style

Gloucester South transept (Decorated style)

IV. Perpendicular Style

Gloucester Cathedral, choir b. 1337

Gloucester Cathedral, choir b. 1337

IV. Perpendicular Style

Gloucester Cathedral, choir, b. 1337

glazed, open and blind tracery in a single plane

arch-enclosing rectangle or “panel”

subordination of detail to overall effect

arched panel motifs = heavenly mansions (“Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many mansions” John 14:1)

IV. Perpendicular Style

Gloucester Cathedral choir: great east window

IV. Perpendicular Style

tunnel vault with penetrations overlaid with dense mesh of lierne ribs four-centered archGloucester Cathedral choir

IV. Perpendicular Style

Gloucester Cathedral Cloister, 1351-64

IV. Perpendicular Style

Gloucester Cathedral Cloister, 1351-64

earliest fan vault

IV. Perpendicular Style

Gloucester Cathedral Cloister, 1351-64

vault parity with walls

IV. Perpendicular Style

made with large ashlar blocks instead of ribs and rough masonry

Gloucester Cathedral Cloister, 1351-64

IV. Perpendicular Style

Perpendicular style Canterbury Cathedral nave, 1378-1405

V. Spread of the perpendicular style as “national” English style

Chapel of St. George at Windsor Castle, b. 1475-1511, commissioned by Edward IV

Authurian romance pretense: chapel more magnificent than a cathedralVI. Late phase of the late perpendicular style

King Edward IV’s Chapel of St. George, Windsor Castle, b. 1475-1511

Flattened four-centered arch

VI. Late phase of the late perpendicular style Greater perpendicularity

Henry VII Chapel at Westminster Abbey, London, England, 1503-09

VI. Late phase of the late perpendicular style Lady chapel as mausoleum

Intended mortuary chapel for a canonized Henry VI

Henry VII (r. 1485-1509)

VI. Late phase of the late perpendicular style Lady chapel as mausoleum

Henry VII Chapel, great west window

“Late” phase further refinement and elaborationVI. Late phase of the late perpendicular style

Henry VII Chapel (figural ornament)

VI. Late phase of the late perpendicular style

Pendant fan vaults at the Henry VII Chapel Chapel

“Late” phase further refinement and elaborationVI. Late phase of the late perpendicular style

Henry VII Chapel

“Late” phase further refinement and elaborationVI. Late phase of the late perpendicular style

Henry VII Chapel Henry VII’s Richmond Palace, 1501Henry VII Chapel

Indebtedness to other building typesVI. Late phase of the late perpendicular style

Indebtedness to other building types

Westminster Hall (1099)hammerbeam roof installed 1397-99

Henry VII Chapel at Westminsterpendant fan vault, 1503-09

VI. Late phase of the late perpendicular style

1957 1967 in French; Eng. trans. 2005

VII. Panofsky’s Gothic Architecture + Scholasticism thesis

habitussystem of internalized schemes that have the

capacity to generate all the thoughts, perceptions, and actions characteristic of a culture, and nothing else

(Bourdieu 2005, 233)

modus operandimental habits

mentality

thoughts of theologians designs of architects

VII. Panofsky’s Gothic Architecture + Scholasticism thesis

Unity of 13th-century civilization

Scholastic thought best represented by summas

Encyclopedic content of sculpture on Gothic facades, portals, and stained glass

Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologica (1265-74) Reims Cathedral, Reims, France, 1211-90

VII. Panofsky’s Gothic Architecture + Scholasticism thesis

Scholastic mental habits best represented in structure of summas

Scholastic thought = Visual logic of Gothic architecture

Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologica (1265-74) Reims Cathedral, Reims, France, 1211-90

VII. Panofsky’s Gothic Architecture + Scholasticism thesis

Reims Cathedral, Reims, France, 1211-90

VII. Panofsky’s Gothic Architecture + Scholasticism thesis

13th century organization of theological treatises

whole

parts (partes)

smaller partes

membra

quaestiones (questions)

articuli (articles)

Scholastic mental habits best represented in structure of summas

Scholastic thought = Visual logic of Gothic architecture

Two “controlling principles” assimilated as “mental habits” by the architects

Reims Cathedral, Reims, France, 1211-90

VII. Panofsky’s Gothic Architecture + Scholasticism thesis

Scholastic thought = Visual logic of Gothic architecture

1. manifestatio - elucidation or clarification (see discussion questions for more)

2. concordantia (Latin) – reconciliation, pattern for considering problems in relationship to conflicting authority of the past.

Question (quaestio) followed by:videtur quodsed contrarespondeo dicendum

(see discussion questions for more)

VII. Panofsky’s Gothic Architecture + Scholasticism thesis

2. concordantia (Latin) – reconciliation, pattern for considering problems in relationship to conflicting authority of the past.

Question (quaestio) followed by:videtur quodsed contrarespondeo dicendum

(see discussion questions for more)

videtur quod, sed contra, respondeo dicendum“it is seen that,” “but on the contrary,” “I answer saying that . . .”

Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologica (1265-74)