Gothic

GOTHIC

Theme: “Height and Light”

Two major Gothic innovations in architecture involved new soaring heights and the use of stained-glass windows to illuminate the interior, both as accomplished by flying buttresses.

 Historical Context (1150-1400 CE)

Gothic art emerged because of the universities in Paris that were intellectual centers, along with an increasing wealth in the city which led to new patronage.  There was also an increasing interest in Marian Devotion or Cult of the Virgin.

Europe Around 1200

 

Major Events during the Gothic Period

Major events influenced art during the Gothic period. During the Babylonian Captivity (1304-1377), the papacy moved to Avignon, France, but then returned to Rome in 1377. This led multiple claimants to papacy in Rome and Avignon.

The battles of the Hundred Years’ War (1337-1453) continued between France and England. This was a war over English-controlled French territory.

The Black Death (1348) was interpreted as a punishment from God.

Artistic Innovations

French Gothic architecture typically has 3 styles:

Early Gothic (Lancet Style) of the 12^th-13^th century introduced round interior columns and rib vaults only extending to the capitals.

High Gothic (Rayonnant) of the 14^th century added: rib vaults extended to the floor, sheets of stained glass, rose windows, exterior sculpture, refined tracery, and weightlessness with a strong verticality.

Late Gothic (Flamboyant) of the 15^th century is also called “flaming”, which is the English translation from the French word flamboyant. Late Gothic is highly decorative with ogee arches.

 

Architecture included the:

• rib vault (quadripartite; sexpartite)
• pointed arch
• bay
• vertical emphasis and stained glass via flying buttresses
• rose window

 

 

 

 

Sculpture and painting included:

• portal sculpture emphasizing verticality
• rich and lustrous stained glass
• re-emergence of human body as a subject for art

Comparing Romanesque to Gothic

 

	ROMANEQUE	GOTHIC
Emphasis	Horizontal	Vertical, narrow
Elevation	Modest	Soaring
Layouts	Multiple units	Unified, unbroken spaces
Main Trait	Rounded arches	Pointed arches
Support System	Piers, walls	Exterior buttresses
Engineering	Barrel and ground vaults	Ribbed groin vaults
Ambiance	Dark, solemn	Airy, bright
Exterior	Simple, severe	Richly decorated with sculpture

 

Romanesque and Gothic Art and Architecture During the Middle Ages in the Christian West

Two styles of religious architecture dominated the landscape: Romanesque and Gothic art. The influence of the Christian religion in art and the triumph of Christianity throughout the Middle Ages could be measured by the number of buildings constructed for worship .To welcome an increasing number faithful, encourage pilgrimage and show its power, the Church built larger places of worship and adjusted the inner space by adding at first side-aisles and an ambulatory followed by radial chapels behind the choir.

If the golden age of the first is in the 11th-12th centuries, that of the Gothic corresponds to the 12th-15th centuries, also called “the time of cathedrals”. These two very opposite styles of church the Romanesque and the Gothic allow a double reading of the objective sought by the representatives of the Church.

For some, the “house of God” must be the modest and not “flashy”. Ideally it should be a medium-sized building, with few openings and little light, with a very sober decor avoiding any distraction and encouraging the faithful to focus on prayer. This is the conception of the Romanesque style.

The Romanesque Church can be formally described as a massive building with stone vaults and a great sobriety. It will progress into the shape of a Latin cross . To support these massive stone vaults the thickness of the walls were increased or the height of the nave controlled by reducing the dimensions of the windows.

Romanesque art rediscovers the process of the vault known to the Romans. The ceilings were initially made of wood. Later the architects favored the stone vault, as it was heavier and generating mainly thrusts on the sides. The barrel vault technique combined with the use of stone allows the construction of larger and more massive buildings because the walls carrying the vault are reinforced by buttresses.  The rounded stone barrel vault, the interior supports and exterior buttresses (walls used to reinforce the facades that support the vault) were often massive.

From the 12th century , we witness monumental sculptures, as French artists discovered statuary . The Church of Sainte-Foy is one of the most famous Romanesque churches in France because of its Judgement tympanum and its symbolic control flow of the pilgrims. They entered through the sinners’ part, prayed in the church to the relics of Saint -Foy and exited the church on the entrance guarded by the interceding Saint-Foy, patriarchs, and the Virgin Mary.

The spread of Romanesque art led to regional styles. In France, the Burgundian School built monuments , preceded by imposing porches and covered with a rich sculpture (Cluny). Yet, along the Rhine the churches are severe, massive buildings with multiple towers.

 

The Evolution of Gothic Art

Gothic art resulted from a slow evolution of Romanesque art . It owed its success to the technical solution it brought to the problem of supporting the vault . Its first step was the use of the groin vaulting and a pointed arch.  This was probably borrowed from Islamic architecture. It relieved some of the thrust and helped reduce the size of the columns. The new slender columns appear in the late Romanesque buildings.

In the 12th century, the French architects succeeded in supporting the heavy Romanesque vault on ribbed vaulting with the addition of cross ribs. Later different fan vaulting shapes extended from the tops of the columns. It therefore sufficed to apply flying buttresses to the outside, so that these in turn transmitted the thrust to the lateral buttresses, placed on the ground.

The thick side walls serving as reinforcements were removed and huge broken arch windows, typical of Gothic art, were pierced.

Stained-glass windows developed and enlarged. The art of stained glass also appeared in the 12th century reflecting a spiritual intention to offer the faithful the feeling of entering a sacred space bathed in a divine light, and to educate the illiterate masses on the stories of the Old/New Testament. The mastery of the technique is developing on several sites including Chartres, and the Sainte-Chapelle of Paris.

To manufacture stained glass windows with a great intensity of colors, it is necessary to have pigments in large quantities. These pigments were rare, expensive and some had to be imported from great distances like lapis lazuli with which to obtain a deep blue. The quality of the stained-glass windows in Paris proves the significant financial expenses collected and incurred in the construction of the cathedral.

Increasing amounts of tracery, or ornate stonework that held the windows, became more decorated. Other stonework such as pinnacles, and gargoyles was added as well. This period corresponds to that of primitive Gothic ( 1140-1200 ) which was followed by the era of triumphant/Golden Age Gothic ( 1200-1400 ) which continued until the Renaissance in the mid-15th century, so-called flamboyant Gothic.

The imposing cathedrals date mainly from the golden age of Gothic, Notre-Dame de Paris (started in 1163 ), with its powerful towers and vast grandstands, Notre-Dame de Chartres ( 1194 ) with its immense nave and its three portals, adorned with statues; the royal Notre-Dame de Reims ( 1210 ) with its famous facade and incomparable statuary and Saint Peter Cathedral of Cologne (1248–1473). From the oldest to the most recent, there is an incessant search for progress and an increasing lightness in construction.

Most of the cathedrals were not completed in the 13th century and even remained incomplete for a long time. The resources necessary for finishing them were provided by all social classes. The clergy provided funding and provided religious themes for the decoration of the building. The Christians also took part in it providing their free work force on construction sites and contributing financially as well.

During the Gothic period the cathedrals under construction required sculptures and it developed funerary sculpture tools. There was a renewal of the iconographic themes. For the tympanums the preferred scene was the one of the Last Judgment, gallery of the kings of Judah. Responsible for creating volume emphasizing shapes and putting them in motion, the sculptures participated in the dynamics of the facade, to the detriment of their own purpose. The face of the saints had to express this tension and stand out in its sovereign grandeur.

In other fields of art such as the illuminated manuscripts, and the tapestries the contribution is less innovative. The metalwork of precious arts and the enamels develop together with the cult of relics, but many early models such as the statue of Saint-Foy contained spolia.

Pointing Out the Differences

 

 

Cutaway View of a Typical French Gothic Cathedral

 

1. pinnacle
2. flying buttress
3. vaulting web
4. diagonal rib
5. transverse rib
6. springing
7. clerestory
8. oculus
9. lancet
10. triforium
11. nave arcade
12. compound pier with responds

Notre-Dame. Paris, France. Begun 1160s (12^th-13^th). Early Gothic. Stone.

 

Floor Plan

 

Interior View

 

Jean De Chelles. Rose Window of Notre Dame. Paris, France. 1240-1250 (13^th). 

Stained glass,  iron and lead.

 

Virgin and Child (Virgin of Paris).

Notre-Dame, Paris, France. Early 14^th.  Stone.

Elaborated Architecture to Support a Socio-political Development

Now that you know the characteristics—Gothic art and architecture is crazy elaborate—it’s time to move on to what it’s really about: the social and political stuff…

The Gothic period was a period of great social and political transformation. Five major sociopolitical developments set the Gothic era apart from the Romanesque and Early Middle Ages.

 Five Major Social-political Developments

The Gothic period was a period of great social and political transformation. Five major sociopolitical developments set the Gothic era apart from the Romanesque and Early Middle Ages.

• Religious structures
• Societal Structure
• Universities
• Philosophy
• Monarchy

 

Religious Structures

Just as urban universities superseded the rural monasteries as centers of learning, the urban cathedrals replaced the monasteries as centers of religious patronage.

Cathedrals were central fixtures in urban life:

• markets were held in the squares in front of cathedrals
• law courts were sometimes located on their steps, and their construction provided jobs
• cathedrals represented civic pride, and towns competed with one another to build the biggest and grandest cathedral of all

 

Societal Structure

Although European society remained largely rural, cities and towns became increasingly prominent. This prompted the rise of urban commerce and a more complex social structure that included merchants and artisans. Paris emerged as the intellectual and cultural capital of Gothic Europe.

Trade guilds —controlled the production and sale of goods and services.

The strong sense of communal identity that emerged was reinforced by public buildings, churches, artworks, monuments, and ceremonies in cities.

Universities

The rise of urban life was simultaneous with the rise of intellectual life. Universities like Oxford, Padua, and Paris supplanted the monastic schools as centers of learning. These universities educated not only theologians but also lawyers, doctors, and philosophers.

This expansion of secular knowledge led to increasing observation of nature. Gothic religious imagery evolved to incorporate more subjects from the natural world.

Philosophy

In the universities and cathedral schools, a new system of philosophy, scholasticism, arose in response to the renewed interest in texts from classical antiquity by crusaders in the eastern Mediterranean.

Classical philosophy that promoted rational inquiry challenged Christian theology, which was based on faith. To reconcile the two, theologians applied logic to faith and developed a system of reasoned analysis. By creating logical proofs, scholastic thinkers could explain supernatural phenomena—even the existence of god.

Monarchy

Church remained the chief patron of the arts.

The courts of the secular monarchs increased the representation of nonreligious subjects and political use of sacred imagery.

These monarchies also facilitated the spread of the Gothic style throughout Europe.

Gothic pointed arches and tracery patterns appeared on town halls, illustrated books, decorative objects, table settings, textile patterns, and even shoes.

Books, Frescos—It Is All Narrative

During the Gothic period, bookmaking shifted from monasteries shut off from the world to urban workshops of professional artists for patrons that included the royal family, scholars, and merchants.

Saint Louis was an avid collector of both secular and religious books, and his mother, Blanche of Castile, commissioned a moralized Bible for him. The dedication page is separated into frames and portrays Blanche and Louis on elaborate thrones with oversized heads, emphasizing their importance. They are framed by cityscapes and are vividly gesturing. Blanche appears to instruct the young Louis, underscoring her superior position as she was regent until he came of age.

This is significant as royal women were often portrayed as higher status, especially due to the higher status given to the Virgin Mary in art. Blanche and Louis, in similar architectural frames, are a monk and a scribe. The monk is instructing the scribe in a similar fashion to Blanche and Louis.

The narrative style in the Dedication Page with Blanche of Castile and King Louis IX of France is similar to that used in the wall paintings in the Arena (Scrovegni) Chapel. The wall is separated into frames and has scenes from the life of Christ and the Last Judgment.

The Lamentation scene portrays Mary the Mother of Jesus, Mary Magdalene, John the Evangelist, and other figures gathered around the dead body of Christ while angels assemble in Heaven. The figures show emotional expressiveness.

The angels fling their arms about and wring their hands. John throws his hands back and lets out a cry of grief. Mary Magdalene holds Christ’s feet, calling to mind the story in which she anointed his feet, and other bystanders exhibit signs of deep sorrow.

The Lamentation is evidence of the emerging naturalism and humanism that is occurring in this period.

A similar work, the Golden Haggadah, is believed by scholars to have been created by Christian artists for a wealthy Jewish family for use in the home.

A Haggadah is a collection of Jewish prayers and readings written to accompany the Passover Seder. The Seder occurs on the first two nights of Passover, and the Haggadah is read to retell the story of the Jewish exodus from Egypt. The yearly retelling of the story of exodus during the Seder is to recognize history and bring the story to life for both the teller and the listener.

Summary

The term Romanesque describes the architecture of the 11th and 12th centuries because it reflects certain Roman techniques. Sacred architecture of this time reflected the needs of pilgrimage. Gothic architecture built on Romanesque styles, adding height, flying buttresses, and large stained-glass windows because of the idea of lux nova.

Pilgrimage journeys resulted from a spiritual or physical need in search of relics. Gothic art humanized biblical figures, and moralized Bibles were commissioned for royal families and made by professional artists.

(3) 60. Chartres Cathedral

Gothic Europe. Original construction : 1145-1155 CE. Reconstructed 1194-1220 CE. Gothic.

Learning Objectives: Gothic cathedral

Themes:

Architecture
Innovation
Place of worship
Religion
Light
Relic
Biblical
Pilgrimage
Devotional object

What is the Difference Between A Church and a Cathedral?

A church is smaller and has a priest. A cathedral is larger and has a bishop.

Gothic Innovation

The architect of this stunning limestone cathedral, with stained glass windows, in Chartres, France, about an hour south of Paris, is unknown.  Gothic style is known for decorative design, detail, and ornamentation. This style of architecture was developed in the Ile de France area around Paris, that was ruled by the King of France.

Pointed arches were created by moving rounded Roman arches upward. This enables the stress lines to move inward towards the ground, not out diagonally. With taller arches, the roof of the buildings could be raised creating taller ceilings. This resulted in a need for light. Stained glass became prevalent in Gothic architecture. It allowed not only sunshine through but provided a highly decorative feature.

These raised elements caused less weight on the structures, resulting in thinner walls. To support these walls flying buttresses were installed to support the arches, right at the point that they were straightening.

The Façade

The façade of the building is simple. There is a tower on the left, a center structure called a westwork, which is the church entrance, and a tower on the right. The westwork was part of the original Romanesque church, which is why it looks heavy against the Gothic cathedral. The tower on the left is the newer Gothic tower. The tower on the right is the older Romanesque tower.

At the top is what is called King’s Gallery, with sculptures of Old Testament royal figures.   Underneath is a rose window, a circular stained-glass window, that was a typical adornment for the front of a Gothic church. It symbolized Mary, a rose without thorns.  Below are three lancet windows, a type of window that are pointed shaped.  The portals below are covered with sculpture.

The Floor Plan

 

 

The church retains its cross-basilica plan shape. Church goers entered the cathedral through the middle doors to attend mass. Pilgrims, who were interested in seeing the church’s relics could enter the axillary doors on the far right. Then circle around and exits the doors on the far left, without disturbing mass.

The Nave

The cathedral’s nave is 50 feet long, with a tall ceiling above at 118 feet. Here there is a three-part elevation. The Nave arcade on the lower level contains pointed arches. The triforium, on second story cannot, unlike a gallery, be occupied. It gets this name from its common three arch pattern. There is a clerestory on the third story with windows. Here each bay of the nave has two lancet windows, or pointed window, with one oculus, or round window on top. All contain stained glass.

The three segments of elevation are united by a compound pier, or a pier with a group of columns bundled together.  Notice the compound piers have columns that draw your eye upward to the ceiling to create the rib vaults. Rib vaults are used to help buttress the pointed vault ceiling where it may be weakest.  Rib vaults can be quadripartite, four, like this one, or sexpartite, six.

Function

The cathedral holds a Marian Devotion, or the Gothic fascination with Mary. Many objects and churches are dedicated to her. The Sancta Camisa of Mary, is said to have been given to the Catholic Church by Charlemagne after a trip to Jerusalem.

The church symbolized Mary’s body. The ribs in the interior literally symbolized Mary’s ribs. The idea was that if Christ grew in Mary’s womb, then we are the children of Mary, who grow within the literal ribs of the church.

Chartres had a cathedral school where classes were taught.  Thus, Mary’s position as Throne of Wisdom was connected to the scholarly activities of this school.

There was a new focus on geometry of the building, through which it approximates Heaven. Mathematics grew in interest as it was believed God created the world according to perfect measurements. The church sought to mirror these measurements and therefore also become divine, as a heaven on earth. The Dimensions are literally based on what the Bible says the dimensions are of the Temple of Solomon in Jerusalem

Let There Be Light

The admittance of light was symbolic of Christ’s presence and divinity in the church. It was also symbolic of the annunciation where the presence of light parallels Christ and the building parallels Mary’s body. Just as Christ passed into Mary’s womb, the light passes into the church.

SUB IMAGE 1: Notre Dame de la Belle Verrière 

The title of this stained-glass panel, in vibrant blues, reds, purples and white. Held together in a led structure means, Our Lady of the Beautiful Glass. The Virgin Mary is shown enthroned with her feet resting on a footstool.

Mary is dressed in royal blue, and haloed with a white veil, which falls on either side of her head.  Blue colored fabric was expensive at the time when most people were dressed in earth tomes. The color blue symbolized the night sky, which is appropriate as she was called the Queen of Heaven,

Mary, was in fact royalty, as a descendent of the kings of Judea. Since Christ was her son, he too was royalty. From the beginning, this indicated to Christians that this was part of God’s plan.

Throne of Wisdom (Sedes Sapientae) ( PORTAL AT FRONT)

Christ is seated on Mary’s lap. Her right hand is raised in blessing. Her left hand holds an open book which says, “Every valley shall be fille.” This is in reference to Luke 3:5 about clearing the way for Christ’s love.

Most of the population of Europe was illiterate at this time and couldn’t read the Bible. Bibles were rare and expensive. The printing press had not been invented yet, so everything had to be copied by hand. People learned the stories of the Bible by hearing the words of the priest in church and by looking at decoration in the church

Christ appears to be an old-man baby. This is to depict that the Christ child has enormous wisdom even as a baby.

There is a white dove over Mary that extends three rays of light towards Mary’s halo.  This is a reference to the Trinity and that Mary acted as an intercessor between God the father and God the son. Six angels gather around Mary and Christ, holding candles and incense.

SUB-IMAGE 2 (Great Portal of the West Façade)

The portal is the entrance to a church. Jambs and jamb figures are columns surrounding the door, and figures on them. This is nicknamed the Royal Portal because the jamb figures depict Old Testament royalty and therefore the relatives of Christ.

The figures are very elongated with no sense of weigh. The head are lined up together, but the bodies have different lengths with feet dangling down.

There is no sense of classicism, instead they are rigid, with bodies conformed to column shapes. The clothing has a sense of folds, with no human shape underneath.

History of the Site

Historians say it was likely there was once a Druid temple here. Next there was a Roman temple, that was converted into a Christian church by the 3^rd century. Then, in the 9^th century the church received a relic from Constantinople –the tunic of Mary. It was rumoured to have been given to the Catholic Church by Charlemagne after a trip to Jerusalem

A Romanesque Church constructed 1145 – 1155. This church burned to the ground in 1194. The tunic  was believed to be lost!

Then, three days later, the tunic was discovered unharmed in the crypt below the church. This was seen as a true miracle!

The interpretation of this event was that Mary wanted to get rid of the old Romanesque style church, so that a Gothic church could be built for her tunic. A new Gothic church was constructed from 1194 – 1220, but the old Romanesque façade remained.

The Gothic era was a hard time to live through. Diseases spread. Wars prevailed. Interest in Mary developed, as Mary became the figure you could appeal to and intercede on your behalf.  There was Marian Devotion or Cult of the Virgin along with increased participation in Church life.

(3) 61. Bible Moralisée

Gothic Europe. 1225-1245 CE. Gothic.

Learning Objective: Gothic illuminated manuscript

Themes:

Text and image
Biblical
Rulers
Status
Good vs evil
Male-female relationships
Materials with significance

Museum: Morgan Library and Museum, New York City

The Bible Moralisée is an illuminated manuscript, made using ink, tempera, and gold leaf on vellum.  Vellum fine paper is made from the skin of calves. While Tempera is pigment mixed with egg yolk.

The work is typically Gothic in style, with drawings that look almost like stained glass windows. There are strong black outlines, filled with bright colours. The figures are not modeled, and appear very thin, without any muscularity.

Purpose of Bible Moralisée

This very expensive work was created for French royalty. It illustrates every sentence in the bible with text and additional commentary. This suggests comparisons between people and events in the Biblical world with the medieval world

SUB-IMAGE 1 (Dedication Page with Blanche of Castile and King Louis IX of France)

*Full page photo above

At the top left is Blanche of Castile, who is veiled in a white widow’s wimple. The traditional medieval open crown sits on top. This crown is decorated with the fleur-de-lys, a stylized iris that is the French royal flower.

Both pose and expression indicate that she is gesturing and speaking to the young man, her son, Louis IX. This pose was familiar to many as that of the Virgin Mary and Christ, who were often enthroned side by side.

At the top right is a young and still beardless Louis IX. He glances at his mother. In his hand, he holds a sceptre topped with a fleur-de-lys and a small golden ball. The ball is in reference to coronation, and Christ’s dominion over the world.

 

SUB-IMAGE 2 (Scenes from the Apocalypse)

NOTE: This is from a different Bible Moralisée from the Paris-Oxford-London Bible Moralisée

which is split between those three cities****

Here, lavishly illustrated passages from the Old and New Testaments  were paired with historical and contemporary scenes to convey a moral message. Each page has 8 circular shaped medallions arranged in the two columns. Two columns of work are read from the top left to bottom left, then from top right to bottom right.

The two top medallions illustrate the Bible. The two below shows the equivalent for the (then) modern period.  There are a total of 4887 medallions.

This page tells the story of St. John the Divine’s vision, where an angel takes him on a tour of heaven and shows him everything that will happen until the end of time. There will be an ongoing battle between God and evil, and ultimately God will win.

Medallion A

Revelation 14:19  “And the angel thrust in his sharp sickle into the earth, and gathered the vineyard of the earth, and cast it into the great press of the wrath of God.”

A figure on the right harvests grapes from the vines on the right. Christ, with his cruciform,  cross-shaped halo, pours the grapes from the basket on his back into the winepress. God and his angels bless the scene from above.

Medallion a

The commentary text says that the great winepress signifies hell. There are demons herding the damned into a hellmouth . Among the damned is a corrupt bishop, identified by his hat, or mitre, and a corrupt king.

Medallion B

Revelation 15:1 “And I saw another sign in heaven, great and wonderful: seven angels having the seven last plagues. For in them is filled up the wrath of God.”

The illustration shows Christ is on the left with seven angels on the right.

Medallion b

The commentary text interprets the seven angels as faithful preachers who teach God’s people. The illustrations show a priest on the left teaching a group of men. Two Jewish men identified with conical hats, turn their body away from the priest.  This was aimed to convince Christian readers that Jews were once God’s people, but medieval Jews no longer were.

The Apocalypse Revelations

Apocalypse is last book of the Christian bible, often called Revelations. It details evil being destroyed by God, with the righteous being raised. It also describes the end times.

People in the 13^th century and High Middle Ages believed that the end times had come. War. Plagues. Violence. As such, the book of revelations became very popular.

Historical Context

Blanche of Castile was the Queen of France and married to Louis VIII. The couple gave birth to Louis IX.  When Louis VIII died from dysentery in 1226, she ruled as regent because Louis IX was just 12 years old. As a woman in power, she was accused on adultery and even murder.

Louis IX grew up to lead the 7^th and 8^th crusades. In 1270, he and was canonized as a saint in 1297, by Pope Boniface VIII. He was the only French king ever to be sainted.