The Depiction of the Concept of Time in Gothic Art
Gothic Fine art
Gothic art developed after the Romanesque, in the 12th century. The style continued to be used well into the 16th century in some parts of Europe, while giving manner to the Renaissance style earlier in some regions.
Learning Objective
Describe the economic and political reasons that led to the evolution of the Gothic manner
Primal Takeaways
Fundamental Points
- An increased population of cities in French republic, equally well as a strengthened French monarch, contributes to the development of the Gothic manner.
- The nearly expressive medium for the Gothic fashion is architecture, specifically, Cathedrals.
- While the Gothic style was developed in Northern France, information technology spread throughout Europe where unlike regional styles were adopted.
Fundamental Term
- Book of Hours: A common blazon of illuminated manuscript that was created for personal devotion and contained a collection of texts, prayers, and psalms.
Gothic fine art developed after the Romanesque, in the 12thursdaycentury. The style continued to be used well into the xvithursday century in some parts of Europe, while giving style to the Renaissance style earlier in other regions. The fashion was adult in Northern France due to socioeconomic, political, and theological reasons.
After the fall of the Roman Empire, people fled cities as they were no longer safety. The Romanesque era saw many people living in the countryside of France while cities remained largely abandoned. During this time menstruation, the French monarchy was weak and feudal landowners exerted a large corporeality of
regional ability. In the 12thcentury, the French royalty strengthened their ability, their titles, and their landholdings, which led to more centralized government. Additionally, due to advancements in
agriculture, population and trade increased. These changes brought people back to the cities, which is where we find the well-nigh expressive medium for the Gothic fashion—cathedrals.
Gothic Architecture
Gothic compages is unique in that we can pinpoint the exact place, the exact moment, and the exact person who developed information technology. Effectually 1137, Abbot Suger began re-edifice the Abbey Church of St. Denis. In his re-designs, which he wrote about extensively, we can see elements of what would become Gothic architecture, including the apply of symmetry in blueprint and ratios.
Ratios became essential to French Gothic cathedrals because they expressed the perfection of the universe created by God. This is where nosotros also see stained glass emerge in Gothic architecture. Abbot Suger adopted the idea that light equates to God. He wrote that he placed pictures in the drinking glass to supplant wall paintings and talked nigh them as educational devices. The windows were instructional in theology during the Gothic era, and the calorie-free itself was a metaphor for the presence of God.
Cathedrals served as religious centers and they were important for local economies. Pilgrims would travel throughout Europe to see relics, which would bring an influx of travelers and money to cities with Cathedrals.
Ambulatory at St. Denis: We tin can encounter the Gothic style emerge at St. Denis in Abbot Suger's re-designs.
While the Gothic manner was developed in Northern France, it spread throughout Europe where different regional styles were adopted. In England, for instance, cathedrals became longer than they were tall and architects in Italy typically did not contain stained glass windows in the manner that the French did.
Gothic Painting
Illuminated manuscripts provide excellent examples of Gothic painting. A prayer book, known as the book of hours, became increasingly pop during the Gothic age and was treated as a luxury item. The Hours of Mary of Burgundy, produced in Flanders c. 1477, contains a miniature showing Mary of Burgundy in devotion with a wonderful depiction of a French Gothic Cathedral behind her.
Miniature from The Hours of Mary of Burgundy: This piece contains a miniature showing Mary of Burgundy in devotion with a wonderful depiction of a French Gothic Cathedral behind her.
Sculpture & Metalwork
Sculpture during the Gothic era actually sheds calorie-free on the cognition of artists working during this fourth dimension flow. Some historians believed that artists and artisans during the Gothic era had "forgotten" how to create realistic works of art, or art influenced by the classical age. However, a viewer only needs to look at the work of Nicolas of Verdun to run into that artists could and did work in a classical style during the Gothic era. Additionally, sculpture produced in Federal republic of germany during the Gothic era is peculiarly noted for its lifelikeness.
Shrine of the Three Kings at Cologne Cathedral: The metalwork by Nicolas of Verdun demonstrates his noesis and agreement of classical elements in art.
Gothic Cathedrals
French Gothic cathedrals are characterized by lighter structure, big windows, pointed arches, and their impressive height.
Learning Objective
Evaluate the structure and symbolism of the French Gothic cathedral
Central Takeaways
Key Points
- French Gothic cathedrals were characterized past lighter construction and big windows.
- The pointed curvation was the defining architectural characteristic of Gothic structure.
- Meridian is enhanced by both the architectural features and the decoration of the building.
- All pattern elements of Gothic cathedrals are intended to pay homage to and bring attention to the Glory of God.
- The western entrance to the Cathedral is typically the master point of entry and therefore the most elaborate facade.
- Stained glass adds a dimension of color to the light inside the building, likewise every bit providing a medium for figurative and narrative art.
Key Terms
- Ogival: Having the curved, pointed shape of a Gothic pointed arch, or a rib of a Gothic vault.
- Lancet Arch: A sharp pointed curvation used in doors and windows, etc.
- Gothic Compages: A fashion of architecture that flourished during the high and tardily medieval period; it evolved from Romanesque architecture and was succeeded past Renaissance architecture.
- Jamb: The vertical components that form the sides of a door frame, window frame, or fireplace, or other opening in a wall.
- Blind Arcade: A series of arches, often used in Romanesque and Gothic buildings, that has no actual openings and has no load-bearing function, and that is applied to the surface of a wall every bit a decorative element.
- Nave: The middle or torso of a church, extending from the transepts to the principal entrances.
The Gothic cathedral represented the universe in microcosm, and each architectural concept, including the height and perfect ratios of the structure, were intended to convey a theological message: the bully glory of God and his creation of a perfect universe. The building becomes a microcosm in 2 means. Offset, the mathematical and geometrical nature of the structure is an image of the orderly universe, in which an underlying rationality and logic can be perceived. 2nd, the statues, sculptural ornament, stained glass, and murals incorporate the essence of cosmos in depictions of events from the Old and New Testaments.
About Gothic churches have the Latin cantankerous (or "cruciform") plan, with a long nave making the torso of the church. This nave is flanked on either side by aisles, a transverse arm chosen the transept, and, beyond it, an extension referred to as the choir.
One of the defining characteristics of Gothic architecture is the pointed or ogival arch. Arches of this type were used in the Near East in pre-Islamic besides equally Islamic compages before they were structurally employed in Gothic architecture. They are thought to take been the inspiration for their apply in France at the Autun Cathedral, which is otherwise stylistically Romanesque. The way in which the pointed curvation was drafted and utilized developed throughout the Gothic period, and 4 popular styles emerged: the Lancet arch, the Equilateral arch, the Flamboyant arch, and the Depressed arch.
Autun Cathedral, ca. 1120-46: Outside of Autun Cathedral, showcasing the pointed arches of the Gothic way on an otherwise Romanesque building.
The Gothic vault, unlike the semi-circular vault of Roman and Romanesque buildings, tin exist used to roof rectangular and irregularly shaped plans such equally trapezoids. This enabled architects to enhance vaults much higher than was possible in Romanesque architecture. While the use of the pointed curvation gave a greater flexibility to architectural form, it besides gave Gothic compages a very dissimilar and more vertical visual feature than Romanesque architecture.
In Gothic architecture the pointed arch is used in every location where a vaulted shape is called for, both structurally and decoratively. Gothic openings such as doorways, windows, arcades, and galleries have pointed arches. Rows of pointed arches upon delicate shafts course a typical wall ornament known equally a blind arcade. Niches with pointed arches that incorporate statuary are a major external characteristic. The pointed arch lent itself to elaborate intersecting shapes, which developed circuitous Gothic tracery within window spaces and formed the structural support of the large windows that are feature of the manner.
Cross-ribbed vault, Bonne-Espérance Abbey, Vellereille-les-Brayeux, Belgium, ca, 13th century: Ogival, or pointed arches, increased in popularity in the Gothic catamenia.
The façade of a big church or cathedral, often referred to as the West Front end, is by and large designed to create a powerful impression on the budgeted worshiper. In the arch of the door (the tympanum) is ofttimes a significant sculpture representing scenes from Christian Theology, most frequently Christ in Majesty and Judgment Solar day. If there is a primal door jamb or a tremeau, then it frequently bears a statue of the Madonna and Child.
The West Front of a French cathedral, along with many English language, Spanish, and German cathedrals, generally has two towers, which, especially in French republic, express an enormous diversity of form and decoration. A characteristic of French Gothic church architecture is its summit, both accented and in proportion to its width, the verticality suggests an aspiration to Heaven. Every bit the Gothic Age progressed in France, the unlike towns and cities may have been in competition with one another to create the tallest Cathedral. Architects also closely guarded the ratios they used in their architectural plans.
Interior of Cologne Cathedral: The verticality demonstrated in this image is a definitive characteristic of Gothic architecture.
Another one of the most distinctive characteristics of Gothic architecture is the expansive area of windows and the big size of the many private windows. The increase in the apply of large windows during the Gothic period is directly related to the apply of the pointed curvation, the ribbed vault, and the flight buttress. All of these architectural features absorbed the weight of the structure, which had rested on the walls in Romanesque architecture. Since the walls had less weight to support, thanks to these innovations, architects were able to pierce the walls of the structures with windows without risking the structural soundness of the cathedral.
Source: https://courses.lumenlearning.com/boundless-arthistory/chapter/introduction-to-gothic-art/
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