GOTHIC ART
INTRODUCTION
Why is “Gothic art” called Gothic art?
Giorgio Vasari – “The father of art history”
Renaissance artist and art historian
Used the term “Gothic” to ridicule late medieval art and architecture
Fore him, “Gothic art and architecture were “monstrous and barbarous” because they were invented by the Goths.
Vasari and other Renaissance artists and critics admired Greco-Roman styles
What did the builders of “Gothic” cathedrals call their style?
Opus Modernum – Modern work
Opus Francigenum – French work
Abbot Suger (Soo-zhayr),1081 – 1151, and the Gothic Style
Abbot Suger of St. Denis
St. Denis had the relics of St. Denis the Apostle of Gaul
St. Denis was also the burial place of the French kings
Friend and advisor to Louis VI (1108 – 1137) and Louis VII (1137 – 1180)
A new vision
Great height – reaching up toward heaven (soaring verticality)
Suffused with light – “the light Divine” LUX NOVA = NEW LIGHT
A visible manifestation of God’s presence – you can see it and feel it, but you can’t touch it.
Metaphor for Jesus as the light of the world
Brilliant colors with stain glass windows – to prefigure (symbolically foreshadow) the Heavenly Jerusalem (Heaven)
Abbot Suger wrote treatises about how he thought new architecture should look
Wanted architecture that would lift people’s mind and spirit above the muck of this world
Rebuilding of St. Denis
He presided over the rebuilding of St. Denis’ ambulatory and incorporated his new ideas.
The Gothic Period
From 1150 – 1400
80 cathedrals built in France from 1150 – 1250
Spread throughout Europe
Gothic Period Architecture is usually represented by cathedral.
What are the characteristics of a Gothic Cathedral?
The Key Elements of Gothic Architecture
Pointed arches
The returning Crusaders admired the pointed arches of Islamic architecture that they had seen in the Holy Land
Pointed arches open up more space than do rounded arches (See diagram in Gardner’s) which fit with Abbot Suger’s goals of greater height
Pointed arches also direct the eye upwards to heaven – give a greater sense of height
Ribbed vaults
Vaults in Gothic churches are different from the barrel vaults which were most common in Romanesque churches
Ribbed vaults used pointed arches for the vaulting.
The ribs are the stones that extend from the ceiling
There are two diagonal ribs that make an X-shape
There are two transverse ribs
Piers
Large compound piers extend to the rib vaults and help support them and lead the eye heaven-ward.
Flying buttresses – external support arms that hold up the walls from the outside
With the greater nave height and vaulting, there is great outward thrust on the walls meaning that the walls would fall outward and away from the center
Flying buttresses hold them up
Called “flying” because there is space between the vertical part of the support and the horizontal arm that extends to the wall
Think of the quadrant arches in Durham Cathedral, England as sort of proto-flying buttresses even though Durham is a Romanesque Cathedral (begun 1093, Gardner’s 17-33)
Large stained glass windows
Fulfills Abbot Suger’s vision that the church should be suffused with the light of heaven
The new support methods – POINTED ARCHES, RIBBED VAULTS, and FLYING BUTTRESSES allowed for more space in the walls for larger windows
Some subtle differences between Early Gothic and High Gothic
Triforium
As height of cathedrals increased the space between the tribune (or gallery) and the clerestory got longer. Architects broke up the big expanse of plain masonry with a triforium. The triforium was a passageway along the length of the nave and sometimes had stained glass windows. Sometimes it was just a blind arcade.
Eventually the need for the gallery disappeared because the nave was supported by flying buttresses.
Early Gothic cathedrals have four levels: nave, gallery, triforium, clerestory.
High Gothic cathedrals have three levels: nave, triforium, and clerestory.
Piers
Stopped using alternating support structures. Each compound pier was identical to unify the space.
Aisles
In High Gothic there was a single aisle on each side of the nave. The aisles were square in plan.
Vaults
In France, the vaulting was a four-part (quadripartite) vault; early Gothic might have a sexpartite vault.
Chartres – Queen of Cathedrals: Considered the first High Gothic Building.
Introduction – On the road to Chartres
Story of Chartres and the Virgin’s Veil
The Virgin’s Veil was worn by the Virgin Mary the night Christ was born – considered one of the greatest relics of all Christendom
It was stolen from Constantinople
Gift from King Charles the Bald (876)
Chartres had a huge fire that destroyed most of the Romanesque cathedral in 1194
The Virgin’s Veil was saved which was perceived by the townspeople as a miracle
Rebuilding of Chartres took place 1194 – 1120
The West Façade
Two towers (Gardner’s 18-5)
One is Romanesque – heavier and more solid looking
One is Gothic – (north or to the left) – more ornate
A rose window
Stain glass window with an round shape and many panes which mimic the petals of a rose
One of 176 stained glass windows in Chartres
Windows
Notice that the façade is pierced with windows, not blind arcades like Romanesque westworks.
Three portals on the western façade known COLLECTIVELY as the ROYAL PORTAL
Called the Royal Portal because the figures on the jamb columns are kings and queens from the Old Testament
TYMPANUM – Christ enthroned as judge and ruler of the universe. Christ is surrounded by a MANDORLA
TETRAMORPHS – the symbols of the four Gospel writers
LINTEL – 12 standing apostles plus two Old Testament prophets (Elijah and Enoch). Figures are arranged in groups of three
ARCHIVOLTS – an ARCHIVOLT is an ornamental band surrounding the TYMPANUM. The outer two archivolts contain 24 elders and the inner archivolt contains 12 angels
North (left) Portal – Christ’s Ascension (to Heaven after Resurrection)
TYMPANUM – timeless Heavenly Christ ascendant in a cloud held by two angels
Lintel – Should be 12 apostles but is 10. Why? Because the Gothic arch space was narrower than a Romanesque arch space? Someone miscalculated?
South (right) portal – The Incarnation (God made flesh)
Knowing that this church housed the relic of the piece of cloth that Mary wore during the birth of Christ, what do you think the program (story or narrative) is being depicted in the tympanum and lintel?
How do these programs compare to the tympanum programs we have seen in Romanesque cathedrals? Why do you think there are these differences?
Nave and Transept (Gardner 18-14)
Amazing facts and figures
The nave is 427 feet long or 142 yards long!
The nave is 123 feet high from floor to ceiling!
The nave and transept can hold 6,000 worshippers!
Three parts of the NAVE ELEVATION – from floor to ceiling
Nave arcade – the series of arches supported by compound piers
Triforium – the intermediate story above the nave arcade, a walkway with a slanted ceiling
Clerestory – the row of windows below the vaults
NOTICE THE EXTENSIVE USE OF POINTED ARCHES
Stained-glass windows
176 windows in Chartres
22,000 square feet
Examples:
Notre Dame de la Belle Verriere (Our Lady of the Beautiful Window) Also known as the Blue Virgin
From the original Chartres Cathedral that was burned down in 1194. Side windows are from the 1200’s. G: 18-16. For full index and close-ups of individual windows:
http://www.medievalart.org.uk/chartres/030a_pages/Chartres_Bay030a_key.htm
The North Rose Window see Gardner 491
42 feet in diameter
A gift from the Queen of France (Queen Blanche of Castile)
Note the yellow fleur-de-lis (three-petaled iris flowers) the symbol of the French royal family as well as the gold castles – symbol of Queen Blanche’s homeland of Castile (in Spain)
In the center sits a crowned Mary holding the Christ Child
The first circle around her contains 4 doves and 8 angels – doves symbolize the Holy Spirit
The second circle depicts 12 kings of Judah, Precursors to Christ – the prophets foretold how the Messiah would come from the family line of King David – Notice the window for King David and King Solomon (David’s son and successor)
The final circle depicts 12minor prophets who prefigure Christ and his Apostles
Five Lancets represent the triumph of divine law
1- The priest-king Melchizedek towers over the idolatrous Nebuchadzezzar of Babylon
2- Beneath King David, King Saul, David’s disobedient predecessor kills himself with a sword
3- St. Anne, mother of the Virgin Mary, holds her daughter above the arms of France
4- King Solomon, the wisest man who ever lived, stands above Jeroboam, a king who worshipped idols
5- Aaron, brother of Moses, triumphs over pharaoh whose armies drowned in the Red Sea
Let’s compare the Gothic stained glass Virgin and Child with the Byzantine mosaic of the Theotokos (bearer of God) and Child in Hagia Sophia (Gardner 12-19)
The Byzantine mosaic is designed to REFLECT light
The Chartres window is designed to FILTER light
What are the stylistic differences you see?
OTHER FRENCH GOTHIC MASTERPIECES
Laon Cathedral, Laon, France, begun ca. 1190
Retained many Romanesque features in design BUT
Did use rib vaulting on pointed arches
Had a triforium
Had a huge rose window on west façade
Had deep (funnel) porches in front doorways
Open structure of towers
Notre Dame de Paris (1163 – 1250) (Gardner’s 18-11)
Flying Buttresses
Rib Vaults
Piers
Pointed Arches
Stained-Glass Windows
Gargoyles
Nave elevation
Nave arcade
Triforium
Clerestory
Amiens Cathedral, Amiens, France, begun 1220
Self-sustaining skeletal structure in full maturity at Amiens
Great light recalls importance of light at Hagia Sophia
Lowest part of west façade influenced by Laon Cathedral
But as it progresses upwards you can see the west façade more and more “punctured”
Note band of sculptures below rose window: King’s Gallery
Uneven towers were later additions
Which sculptures on Chartres does Beau Dieu (18-22, Amiens Cathedral) match best?
Reims Cathedral, Reims, France, ca. 1225 - 1290
Background
Site of Clovis’ conversion to Christianity in 496
The Romanesque cathedral burned down in 1210. The fire was allegedly set by Alberic de Humbert. The archbishop wanted a new and grander cathedral in the Gothic style.
Cathedral where the French kings were coroneted.
Sacred relics include a piece of the True Cross worn by Charlemagne
An incredible west façade (Gardner’s 18-23)
Five archivolts
Stained-glass windows replace carved tympanums
King’s Gallery above rose window, not below like Reims.
A spectacular nave
124 feet high
Shows all key Gothic elements
Note the stylistic development of the architectural sculptures outside of Reims Cathedral, Annunciation and Vistitation.
Sainte-Chapelle (Gardner’s 18-25)
A RELIQUARY chapel – Saint Chapelle is not a church in its own right but a chapel with important relics
Louis IX (1226 – 1270) was the ideal Christian king. He was revered for his piety, justice, truthfulness, and charity
He led the Seventh (1248 – 1254) and Eighth (1270) Crusades
Pope Bonface VIII declared Louis a saint in 1297
Louis IX purchased the Crown of Thorns, lance, sponge, part of the True Cross, and a nail from the True Cross
Saint-Chapelle functioned as a repository for these precious relics
The upper floor of the chapel was accessible only to the king and the clergy
Stained-glass
6,450 square feet of stained-glass make up more than ¾ of the structure
Sainte-Chapelle’s enormous windows filter the light and fill the interior with unearthly rose-violet light
Sainte-Chapelle is an example of the RAYONNANT or RADIANT style of the Gothic style which dominated the second half of the 13th century (ie. 1250 – 1300)
Saint-Maclou, Rouen, France, ca. 1500 – 1514
Gardner’s---Tracery: Ornamental stonework for holding stained glass in place. Plate tracery: glass fills “punched holes.” Bar tracery the stained glass fills most of the opening; the stonework is unobtrusive. But in describing Saint-Maclou tracery also seems to refer to any lace-like stonework. Note use of “tracery” for stonework in gable that has no stained glass.
FLAMBOYANT STYLE: so named because of the flame-like appearance of its pointed bar tracery) FLORID
So ornate and transparent that it presents a bewildering complexity.
Evolution of High Gothic Sculpture
Royal Port, Chartres Cathedral, 1145 - 1155
Old Testament Kings
From Romanesque Tradition
Rigid
Linear, regular folds of clothing
Elongated proportions
Not caryatid (or atlantid): Attached to columns, not a replacement for columns.
Starting to individualize representations. Not mask-like Romanesque
But sculptures were volumes, not reliefs: Compare to Romanesque relief on trumeau of Saint-Pierre, Moissac, France.
Seventy years later: A second “Classical revolution”
On south transept of Chartres (they spent a long time making these things!) 1220 – 1230
Saints Martin, Jerome, and Gregory
More free-standing; columns are just background support.
Faces and stances are individualized
Sculptures relate to one another, have different personalities.
Clothed in Gothic period liturgical costumes.
Not rigid posture
Cloth is regular but less linear
Think of the changes in Greek sculpture from Archaic to Classical periods.
Saint Theodore on south transept (1230)
Torsion of figure
Weight shifted: note his right hip is thrust out
There is a sense of motion but not weight. But not contrapposto: Notice the feet. See this a lot in Gothic figuration: the “S” curve.
Gardener’s says like Polykleitos’s Spear Bearer. But I don’t buy it.
Ideal Christian Knight: Wears intricately sculpted chain mail, has shield
Annunciation and Visitation, west façade of Reims Cathedral, 1230 – 1255
Made by 3 different artists or workshops
Visitation
Mary
Angel Gabriel
Sculptures appear detached from architectural backgrounds. Columns insignificant.
Christ (Beau Dieu), west façade of Amiens Cathedral, 1220 -1235
Fully modeled figure
Deeply modeled drapery
Almost a free-standing sculpture
Placed in an architectural setting: canopy: like east end of a cathedral with radiating chapels.
Nice guy with beard.
Kindly not terrifying
Hope in salvation
Becomes preferred representation of Christ in European art.
Virgin and Child (Virgin of Paris), Notre-Dame, Paris, France, early 1300’s
Best example of Late Gothic sculpture
Exaggerated “S” curve
Worldly queen/infant prince
Further humanization of religious figures.
EXAGGERATED “S” CURVE = GOTHIC SWAY STYLE
Gothic Secular Architecture in France
Fortified town of Carcassonne, France
Tightly contained complex of castle, cathedral, and town within towered walls.
Double walls
Parapets, crenellations (merlons & crenels)
Hall of the cloth guild, Bruges, Belgium, begun 1230
Shows increasing wealth and power of guilds
Secularization of urban life in late Middle Ages
Combines features of military (crenellated watchtower) and church (lancet windows and oculi)
House of Jacques Coeur, Bourges, France, 1443 – 1451
Rich and powerful financier
Use of Gothic vocabulary for secular use.
Book Illumination and Luxury Arts
Book manufacture shifted from monastic scriptoria to urban, professional artist workshops
Villard de Honnecourt, sketchbook of master mason (architect) figures based on geometric shapes
God as architect of the world
Blanche of Castile, Louis IX, and two monks
Abraham and the three angels (pre-figuration of three magi), Psalter of Saint Louis, 1253 – 1270
Design influenced by stained glass: Sometimes workshops produced both
Intense colors and bar tracery evident in design
Court style = elegant proportions, facial expressions, theatrical gestures, and swaying poses. Compare to Reims Annunciation angel.
Master Honore, David anointed by Samuel and battle of David and Goliath, Breviary of Philippe le Bel, 1296
Linear treatment of hair
Not located in space (tapestrybackground)
Volume indicated by shading
Does not have classical idea of illusionistic window on 3D world.
Jean Pucelle, David before Saul, Belleville Breviary, ca. 1325
Modeled figures in convincing architectural space with convincing perspective
Renditions of plants and animals show close observation of nature.
Pucelle and assistants’ names in back of book
Virgin of Jeanne d’Evreux, abbey church of Saint-Denis, France
Private devotional figure for wealthy person or gift to church
No hint of grief (foreshadowing)
Intimate mother and child
Mother of Christ and Queen of Heaven
How would you describe posture?
The Castle of Love and knights jousting, ca. 1330 – 1350
Woman’s jewelry box
Illustrates poem “Romance of the Rose”
Secular themes were prominent in private art
Gothic Style Outside of France
England
Salisbury Cathedral, 1220 - 1258
English façade is a squat screen that hides building behind it
Soaring height is absent
Does have 3-part division of interior (nave & two aisles)
Emphasis on great crossing tower
Flying buttresses used sparingly: not needed, not high: a prop
Double transept: common for English and Cistercian churches. Flat eastern end (no apse)
Pier colonnettes stop at springing, not connected with vault ribs
Strong horizontal emphasis
Gloucester Cathedral, 14th C.
PERPENDICULAR STYLE: more decorative and complex
Multiplication of ribs
Vertical emphasis
Giant window filling a pointed arch: made up of smaller pointed arch windows.
Choir is actually a barrel vault with ornate ribbing.
Chapel of Henry VII, Westminster Abbey, London, England, 1503 - 1519
More structure-disguising decorations that look like embroidery.
Fan vaults: radiating ribbing
Hanging pendants like stalactites (Muqarnas dome, Alhambra?)
Dissolution of structural Gothic to decorative fancy: Contemporaneous with Flamboyant style in Saint-Maclou.
Royal Tombs, Edward II, Gloucester Cathedral, ca. 1330 – 1335
Freestanding but unmovable “furniture”
Recumbent images
Preserve remains and enhance reputation of piety.
Object of services for the dead as requested by the dying.
King looks like Christ with angels at his head
Perpendicular Gothic canopy encases coffin like a miniature chapel.
Ogee arches (double-curved lines)
Like a life-size reliquary
Holy Roman Empire
Cologne Cathedral, Cologne, Germany, begun 1248
Took 600 years to complete
Quest for height
Withstood bombing of WWII
Saint Elizabeth, Marburg, Germany, 1235 – 1283
Hallenkirche (Hall Church) design: Aisles same height as nave. Therefore no tribune, triforium, or clerestory
No flying buttresses
Brighter than French or English Gothic churches.
German Gothic Sculpture
Strasbourg Cathedral, Strasbourg, France, Death of the Virgin, tympanum, ca. 1230
Apostles gather around recumbent Mary and form an arch to fit in tympanum
Christ receives his mother’s soul (little statue)
Highly emotional, grief/resignation
Deeply incised drapery unifies composition
Ekkehard and Uta, Naumberg Cathedral, Naumberg, Germany, ca. 1249 – 1255
Made a century after their death (two of the original benefactors of the church)
Statues attached to columns and under canopies
Indoors so their paint is well preserved: gives good idea of what façade and transept sculptures looked like when new.
By mid 1200’s in HRE and England, life-size images of secular people in churches.
Doesn’t Uta look like the evil queen from a Disney animation?
Bamberg Rider
Equestrian figure revives Carolingian imagery, derived from ancient Rome.
Seems like a portrait
Of Holy Roman Emperor? Would underscore unity of church and state in 13th C. Germany.
Careful representation of clothes and equestrian accoutrements.
Proportion of horse and rider correct (not oversize rider like in Marcus Aurelius or Charlemagne).
Torsion of figure like Reims portal statues.
Rottgen Pieta, 1300 - 1325
War, plague, famine of 14th C.
Powerful expression of suffering, grief
Artist confronts devout with appalling icon of suffering and death: almost heresy.
Humanizing of religious themes from 12th to 14th C. Art addressed to private person through appeal to emotions. Emotion accompanied human body in motion.
Nicholas of Verdun, Shrine of the Three Kings, Cologne Cathedral, ca. 1190
Holds remains of the three magi
Like sculpted version of his enamel figures from Klosterneuburg figures
Shaped like a cathedral
Repousse figures in high relief
Silver, gems, enamel, bronze: fits Abbot Suger’s idea of the fabulous, otherworldly atmosphere in churches
Good website to see and tour a variety of Gothic cathedrals:
http://www.mcah.columbia.edu/ha/html/medieval.html
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