Gothic Art and Architecture

Art Appreciation I

Gothic Art and Architecture

• Mid-12th into the 15th Century CE

• Dominant style in Europe for 400 years

• Art and Architecture that expressed the political and religious values of Christians

• Term Gothic comes from the “Goths” – a group of Germanic invaders who helped destroy the Roman Empire

• Style began in France, but spread throughout Europe

Mid-12th Century in Europe

• Advances in Building Technology

• Access to More Materials and Resources

• New Intellectual and Spiritual Aspirations

Abbey Church of Saint-Denis

Abbey Church of Saint-DenisFirst Gothic Style building

Church built on site of a monastery founded in 5th Century - built over tomb of St. Denis (early Christian martyr sent from Rome)

Built for crowds of pilgrims (pilgrimage church) - church contains relics of St. Denis

Stained Glass Windows to let in “the light of God”

Royal significance - church houses all tombs of French Kings

Architect - Abbot Suger, Abbey Church of Saint-Denis, 1130 - 1144 CE

Ambulatory and Chapels

Rose Window

Tomb of Marie-Antoinette

Notre Dame Paris

Cathedral of Notre Dame (Paris), Gothic Architecture

Notre Dame Paris

• Well-known example of Gothic Architecture

• Tallest building in world for 600 years

•New ways to build tall buildings – openings in building, supports on outside, more windows made the structure less heavy

•Stained glass windows (Rose Window)

• Pointed Arches

Cathedral of Notre Dame (Paris), Gothic Architecture, 1163 CE

Flying Buttresses

Flying Buttresses helped support the weight of the building on the outside

Invented during Gothic Period

Gothic churches could be very tall because of the buttresses supporting the weight

Ribbed Vaulting

• Used to Support the wide roof in Gothic churches

• Wide Space without Columns in the Middle (uninterrupted space)

• Inspired by Human Anatomy

Stained Glass Windows

• Invented during the Gothic Period

• Light as a symbol of God

• Colorful images of Saints, donors to the church, animals, other designs

Sainte-Chapelle Paris

Sainte-ChapelleParis

Vast expanses of stained glass windows

Gothic style known as “Rayonnant” or radiant, because of the light and the use of gold

Church built to house King Louis IX’s collection of relics (including a nail and a crown of thorns from the Crucifixion) Sainte-Chapelle Church (Paris),

1243-1248 CE

Stained Glass detail

Furrier’s Shop (detail from the Charlemagne window in Chartres Cathedral, France)

Stained Glass detail

• Shop owner (Fur Shop) selling his furs for coats

• Shop owner donated money to the church

• Colorful details

• Cut pieces of class with details drawn on the glass

Furrier’s Shop (detail from the Charlemagne window in Chartres Cathedral, France)

Virgin and Child (from the Abbey Church of St. Denis), Silver Gilt and Enamel, 1139 CE, height 69cm

Reliquary Statue containing the hairs of the Virgin Mary

Graceful S-curve pose - Gothic style

Commissioned by Queen Jeanne d’Evreux

Statues similar to this one made for homes and personal chapels

Virgin and Child

Comparison

Virgin and Child Enthroned

Artist: Giotto di Bondone, Virgin and Child Enthroned, 1280 CE, Tempera Paint and Gold on Wood, 10 feet 8 inches x 6 feet 8 inches

Painted for the Church of the Ognissanti (All Saints) in Florence, Italy

Symmetrical Composition

Convincing Light and Shadow

Hierarchy of Figures (Scale of Virgin Mary and Christ child compared to Angels)

Tempera Paint – Mixture of Dry Pigment and Egg – paint dries quickly

Arena Chapel in Padua, Italy – Paintings by Giotto

Lamentation by Giotto

Artist: Giotti di BondoneLamentation, Arena Chapel (Padua, Italy) Fresco Painting, 1305 - 1306

Giotto’s “Masterpiece” due to scale of the work, his technique, and the quality of the narratives

Chapel located near ancient Roman arena, hence the name “Arena Chapel”

Stories about the life of Christ organized into individual paintings

Lamentation – story of mourning the death of Christ with the Virgin Mary

Fresco Painting – Type of wall painting that involves painting into wet plaster (painting is part of the wall)