European Art History. Romanesque and Gothic Art

Romanesque Architecture and Sculpture

Romanesque Architecture

The eleventh century (1000 – 1100 AD) saw peace and prosperity gradually begin to return to Europe after several centuries of war and poverty since the collapse of the Roman Empire at the end of the 5th century. Encouraged by the Catholic Church, communities began to replace their small wooden chapels with large stone churches. These builders looked to the structures of ancient Rome for guidance and for inspriation. These new churches were in the style of the Romans and therefore called Romanesque.

Key features of Romaneque Architecture.

An example of a Romanesque Church that you need to know and be able to sketch

Bascilica Format

The Romanesque church was based on a Roman structure; the Bascilica ; A long rectangular building with a central nave and two aisles – one on either side. The aisles were seperated from the nave by an arcade consisting of a row of pillars and arches. The Romanesque bulders added to two transepts the top of the nave, one on either side to form a crucifix shape. Behind this was a small recess called an apse. This structure was the standard format for a Romanesque Church. Later on as Romanesque architecture developed, towers and other such features were added.

Romanesque Churches were built completely of stone and in some cases of brick. This was a huge improvement on previous churches which were constructed with a wooden roof – a stone roof was permanent since if would not burn or rot. Stone was cut into wedge shapes blocks valled voussoirs. These were built up to form a vault. There were two main types of vaults; Barrel Vaults and Groin Vaults.

Barrel Vault

Groin Vault

Holding up the weight of a stone roof proved to be problematic. As the stone was very heavy – much heavier than wood, it created pressure on the walls of the church – this is called “ Outward Thrust”. As the walls were at risk of collapsing under the pressure of the outward thrust, Romanesque builders made the walls extra thick to compensate for this pressure – 2 to 3 meters in thickness.

The thick walls gave Romanesque Churches a very heavy appearance. Also; very few windows could be built as this would weaken the walls, this meant that Romanesque churches were very dark inside.

St Sernin’s Basilica, Toulouse, France 1080 – 1120 AD

St Sernin’s is a large Romanesque Church. It was located in Toulouse along the pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostela in Spain, ( where St james is reputedly buried) so it was built extra large to accommodate the numerous pilgrims aswell as the local population.

St Sernin’s is a typical Romanesque church in that it was built in the basilica format, but because it is so large it has a few adaptions to this format. The main features of St Sernins are;

1) Heavy appearance with small rounded windows
2) Made of local brick not stone
3) An extra aisle on either side of the nave
4) The extra aisle continues around the transept and the apse creating an ambulatory where pilgrims could walk and pray
5) Nine small chapels at the back of the chuch behind the transept and the apse.
6) The nave is barrel vaulted the aisles are groin vaulted
7) Lantern Tower at the crossing of the transepts and the nave which lets in much light
8) A Clerestory/ Clearstory – a row of windows up at the top of the walls to let in light

Groundplan of St Sernins

Aerial view of St Sernin’s

Interior of St Sernin’s

The main two examples of Romaneque Sculpturethat you need to know. Sainte-Foys and st Lazaire Autun Cathedral

The Last Judgement, 1130, St Lazare. Study this sculpture in detail, vitally important. Look at the composition of this sculpture, Christ Central largest figure, early figures on the lintel underneath, the elit and saved to his right and the damed and demons to his left with the weighing of the souls. Above heaven and angles. Memorize for the exam and practice drawing this regularly.

The weighing of the souls is an important close up that you will need to learn and draw in the exam.

Detail of the Last Judgement . The Archangel Michael and the Devil weighing the souls. See below the feet of the devil – the hand of God pulls a frightened soul out of Purgatory in order for it to be weighed

In the Last Judgement Gislebertus shows us why he is master of visual story telling. The expressions on the faces and his use of hand gestures conveys strong emotion to us. Gislebertus had a talent for drama and his vision of the Last Judgement must have been truly terrifying to people of the medieval era who gazed upon it

Romanesque Architecture and Sculpture

Teaching the word of god found a new and powerful medium in medieval art. Sculptors at Cluny were the first to use monumental stone sculpture for this purpose and it soon spread to other pilgrim churches.

Carved Tympanums; Pilgrims coming to churches entered from the west front, passing under a richly carved semi-circular arch known as a tympanum. This was inspired by the Roman arch, which was invented to celebrate imperial victory over an enemy. The Last Judgement was the main theme of this new type of portal Romanesque Sculpture.

Carved Capital Pillars; Capitals were often decorated with carved narrative scenes adapted to the awkward shape of the capital. Bending and twisting figures in a frame is a distinctive feature of 

Themes;

Christ; the Christian religion is based on Christi's passion, and Romanesque Art celebrated this story over and over.

Death and Grotesque; As the life expectancy at this time was very short the reality of death was always present. In Christian religious teaching, death was a passage to the next, more important life and every dying person faced the question of whether they would recieve mery from God or face the eternal damnation of hell. For this reason, Romanesque Art produced a greater wealth of images of death in all it's forms than in any other period of Western art history. The grotesque images of devils, demons, and tormented souls we're intended to create fear of Hell in people's minds and serve as a reminder to always be prepared for death by repenting ones sins.

The purpose of the sculptural schemes was to convey a message that the Christian believer should recognize wrongdoing, repent and be redeemed. The Last Judgement reminds the believer to repent. The carved or paintedCrucifix, displayed prominently within the church, reminds the sinner of redemption.

Ouroboros, single and in pairs atKilpeck, England

Often the sculpture is alarming in form and in subject matter.

These works are found on the Tympanums, capitals, corbels and bosses, or entwined in the foliage on door mouldings. They represent forms that are not easily recognizable today. Common motifs include Sheela na Gig, fearsome demons, ouroboros or dragons swallowing their tails, and many other mythical creatures with obscure meaning. Spirals and paired motifs originally had special significance in oral tradition that has been lost or rejected by modern scholars.

Romanesque sculpted figures are sculpted in low relief, only slight pertrudging from the wall. They are a feature of the architectural building and are decorative in nature. They are crude and sometimes comical in style, with exagerated expressions(demons), unrealistic and unhumanistic(all of the figures had similar faces and features). The figures are elongated with decorative lines used to describe their clothes, robes. The figures are also cleverly squashed into the space provided, resulting in them looking jagged, contorted, bent, angular and uncomfortable. Romaneque sculptures would have been colourfully painted so to further deliver the word of god in a way that stops people in their tracks.

A Summery of Romanesque

The Romanesque Period (1000 – 1200 AD)

• Dominated Western Europe from 1000 AD until 1200.  It started in France and made a strong impact in Italy and Germany also
• The term Romanesque which literally means ‘roman like’ was not used until the 18^th century when a French art expert used the term to describe the style.

Life in medieval Europe

• Life was hard and poverty and disease were common.
• Much of the year was spent in darkness in horrible living conditions and there was a widespread fear that the world was going to end in the year 1000 which added even more of a sense of hopelessness.
• There was little or no education, so hardly anyone could read or write, but devotion of the Christian faith and the firm belief that life in heaven would be better than life on earth gave people hope.

The triumph of the church

• The church dominated medieval Europe in a political as much as a spiritual manner.  There were several important reasons for this:
• Men of intelligence joined the clergy in great numbers.  The church was basically a democratic organization where clever men could rise from nothing to positions of immense power and influence.
• The pope brought in new strict rules governing clergy celibacy, so the monasteries grew in strength and wealth with no question of divided inheritance
• The church was an international institution with no allegiance to any particular state, so churchmen of ability from all over Europe became great thinkers and educators of the Romanesque period.

Romanesque art

The new powerful church had a huge influence on art.

• New orders and monasteries were established throughout Europe and these religious communities often had a relic of a saint.  Church’s were designed to accommodate visitors who came to pray before this relic and a new style of architecture and sculpture evolved to meet these needs.
• Pilgrimages and relics were a huge part of medieval religion.  The church encouraged religious pilgrimages as penance for sins. 
• Pilgrims often lasted many years and frequently involved danger and hardship.  Stone church’s were erected to accommodate for the growing crowds of pilgrims.

 Romanesque& Gothic were the two major movements in art and architecture in medieval Europe.  Together they had the kind of impact on visual culture and they built an environment in Europe not seen since the Roman Empire.  These movements occurred from the 11^th to the 14^th centuries at a time when Europe was going through dramatic social, religious and artistic change. 

What is Romanesque?

The term Romanesque was first used in the mid 19^th century.  Until then, art and architecture of the middle ages had traditionally been considered heavy and crude compared to that of the Renaissance, but the negative image changed when art historians began to describe the style as ‘Roman’.  Once the link was made to the ancient Roman art  of building, ‘romanesque’ became the accepted name for all the great phases of western culture.    It is difficult to give precise dates at which the Romanesque period began and ended it varied considered as one of the great phases of western culture

Romanesque Art & Architecture

Because of the dominant role of the Church, most Romanesque art is religious.  Architecture was the main focus of the period and the 11^th and 12^th centuries saw a frenzy of church building activity.  Many examples of Romanesque architecture can be seen today around Europe, but some of the finest are detailed below.

Cluny Abbey

• Cluny Abbey in east central France is of paramount importance to Romanesque Art.  By the end of the 11^th century Cluny had become extremely influential and powerful and was famous far and wide for its splendor and great wealth.
• The Cluniac order placed great emphasis on elaborate religious services.  Singing and music were essential parts of its liturgy and the vaulting system was designed to enhance sound. 
• It also had an extremely high regard for art, particularly architectural sculpture, using it both as ornament and as a means of spreading the message of Christianity.
• Accounts describe not only the splendor of its beautiful carved capitals but also its arches, windows and cornices, which were surrounded by sculptured ornament.
•  In addition, there would certainly have been murals, carpets, huge chandeliers, figures of saints, golden liturgical vestments and gleaming ornaments set with precious stones.
• In terms of splendor, no castle or palace of the period would have compared with this abbey in any way because secular rulers had to invest most of their money in soldiers and military equipment and also because the church forbade the faithful to accumulate wealth or display it ostentatiously.

The demolition of Cluny

The church and its surrounding monastic buildings were destroyed, so the only remaining part of the abbey church is the majestic clocher de L’Eau – Benite (Holy Water Belfry)

Churches in the pilgrimage route

The style of building first explored at Cluny soon became common throughout France, Spain, Italy and England.

The churches built along each of the four main pilgrimage routes in France were remarkably similar in design.

Characteristics of a typical Romanesque Church:

• Blocky in shape – they had a solid geometric appearance.
• Rounded arches – Roman arches were used extensively for doors, windows, on the towers and even ornamental arcades on walls.
• Stone roofs – The Romanesque building boom went hand in hand with a number of technological innovations, but the supreme achievement was the development of the stone vault, which not only insulated against fire but also greatly improved acoustics (sound quality)
• Massive walls – A huge amount of stone was needed to construct high stone roofs, and in order to carry this weight, walls and pillars  had to be strong and thick.
• Interiors – They had a dark and solemn aspect because there were few window openings (which would have weakened the walls)
• Roman basilica – Early Christian churches were based on the roman basilica rather than roman temple.  The basilica served a general community purpose in Roman towns and this model was chosen over the round Roman temples, which had a pagan association.  Romanesque builders continued using this model.
• Cruciform in shape – Romanesque churches were designed to cater for large crowds of pilgrims.  Crosswire transepts broke up the long nave and pilgrims could walk about the entire church without interrupting the monastic liturgy.  An ambulatory of walkway around the back of the altar facilitated viewing the relics.
• Radiating chapels – A ring of smaller chapels called radiating chapels extended from the ambulatory and each one of these contained a minor relic.
• Lighting – A tower or cupula (dome) on the roof over the central crossing of the transept and nave lit up this central area and had the effect of drawing pilgrims towards the altar and choir.
• Cut stone – Many churches were built with ashlar masonry that is, even, regularly cut blocks of stone, suitable for monumental architecture.

Vaulting

Stone vaulting was absolutely necessary in Romanesque churches because fire was a constant problem and there had been many catastrophes.  Romanesque masons were able to vault the entire width of the church using the Roman model, but the exact technical knowledge developed by the Romans had been lost.  As problems developed, architects could only solve them by experimentation.

• Barrel vaulting – was the first method tried, but the heavy stones pressed out as well as down, causing the semi circular arches to flatten, the walls to push outwards and the roof to collapse.  This problem is known as outward thrust.
• Broken barrel vaulting was an improvement as it used pointed transverse arches, but the problem of outward thrust remained, although it look longer to develop.
• Groin vaulting – was a further experiment in finding a solution.  This consisted of two barrel vaults intersecting at right angles.  For a while it seems as if this approach provided a solution, but the problem of outward thrust continued to plague builders for a century after.

 Romanesque Church no.1

St. Mary Magdalene in Vezelay

• The basilica of St Mary Magdalene in Vezelay is the largest Romanesque church in France.  The Benedictine abbey was overseen by cluny and first came to fame after it acquired relics of Mary Magdalene in 1037. 
• New miracles associated with the relic soon spread and it was officially designated by Cluny as a major stop on the Compostela route. 
• The church was rebuilt around 1150, after a devastating fire in which 1,200 pilgrims lost their lives.  It suffered quite an amount of damage during the French revolution when its façade and one of the towers were destroyed, but it was saved from near collapse during the 19^th century. 
• The restoration was somewhat clumsily executed on the exterior but the superb sculpture inside the narthex (entrance or outer porch) has survived almost unscathed. 
• The interior is also well preserved and the impression conveyed on entering this perfect gem of 12^th century architecture is one of stately Romanesque dignity.
• Semi circular arches divide the nave into groin-vaulted bays, creating balance, rhythm and light on a soaring upward structure.  One of Vezelay’s most notable characteristics is ochre and white stone on all its arches, which make a chequered effect and shows the influence of Islamic architecture, possibly from spain, and pilgrims traveling to and from Santiago.
• Supporting the arches are square piers with engaged (attached) pillars on each side, surmounted by beautifully decorated carved capitals.
• Romanesque churches were specifically designed to cater for the needs of pilgrims. 
• Designs became more sophisticated in the 12^th century and many pilgrimage churches were influenced by Cluny, but Roman and Islamic influences can also be found in the architectural features.
• The narthex is an impressive 1,200 sq. km (4,000 sq. ft.) and the length of the nave nearly rivals the Notre-Dame in Paris.
• Romanesque churches were specifically designed to cater for the needs of pilgrims.  Designs became more sophisticated in the 12^th century and many pilgrimage churches were influenced by Cluny, but roman and islamic influences can also be found in the architectural features.

Cluny Abbey France

Cluny Abbey

Cluny Abbey 

 Cluny Abbey – Romanesque church no.2

Cluny abbey in east central France is a paramount importance to Romanesque Art.  By the end of the 11^th century Cluny had become extremely influential and powerful and was famous far and wide for its splendor and great wealth.

The cluniac order placed great emphasis on elaborate religious services.  Singing and music were essential parts of its liturgy and the vaulting system was designed to enhance the sound.  It also had an extremely high regard for Art, particularly architectural sculpture, using it both as ornament and as a means of spreading the message of Christianity.

Accounts describe not only the splendor of its beautiful carved capitals but also its arches, windows and cornices, which were surrounded by sculptured ornament.  In addition, there would certainly have been murals, carpets, huge chandeliers, figures of saints, golden liturgical vestments and gleaming ornaments set with precious stones.

In terms of splendor, no castle or palace of the period would have compared with this abbey in any way because secular rulers had to invest most of their money in soldiers and military equipment and also because the church forbade the faithful to accumulate wealth or display it.

The church and the surrounding monastic buildings were destroyed, so its only remaining part of the abbey church is the majestic Clocher de l’Eau-Benite (holy water belfry)

The style of building first explored at Cluny soon became common throughout France, Spain, Italy and England.

Gothic Period - Architecture

GOTHIC

Gothic Architecture (c1200 – c1600)

Gothic Architecture developed out of Romanesque. New developments in building techniques meant that Gothic churches could soar higher and become flooded with light.
In comparison to the gloom and forbidding appearance of Romanesque Cathedrals and its sculpture the new Gothic style offered a vision of hope and salvation to the masses. The walls of these new buildings were not fortress like, they were full of glass – coloured glass. These buildings must have appeared truly miraculous, rising up to extraordinary heights. If the Romanesque sent out the message that hell and the devil was waiting the new Gothic message was of closeness to heaven and Gods glory. (E.H. Gombrich 1984).

Soaring stained glass windows reach daring heights in the 13th-century Gothic Saint-Chapelle church in Paris. Photograph: Pascal Deloche/Godong/Corbis

Three key developments in Gothic Architecture are;
(1) Pointed arches
(2) Ribbed Vaults
(3) Flying buttresses

Pointed Arch

Gothic Arches; Courtesy of Henry .J. Sharpe

The pointed arch was an influence from the Middle-East. It produced less outward thrust than the rounded arch and therefore walls could be made thinner and more windows could be used. Another benefit was that the pointed arch could span a wider distance than a rounded one. This meant that windows could become bigger.

Ribbed Vaults

It was discovered that if ribs ( a rib is an extra strip of stone ) were used to reinforce vaults then the wall between the ribs could be made much thinner than without ribs. This meant that ceilings and walls could become much thinner.

Ribbed Vault; Courtesy of Henry. J. Sharpe.

Ribbed Vaults in the Nave of St Denis, Paris

Flying Buttress

Buttresses had been used during the Romanesque era to support walls ( A buttress is a structure projecting out from a wall which strenghtens it). A Flying buttress is a development on from this. It consists of two parts; a ‘buttress’ – which stands up straight and a ‘flyer’ which is an arch joining the buttress to the exterior wall of the church. The development of Flying Buttresses meant that walls could be built much thinner and higher.

Flying Buttresses; Sainte Chapelle, Riom.

Flying Buttresses; Image courtesy of Henry.J.Sharpe.

These three structural developments ( pointed arch, ribs, flying buttresses) allowed the walls of Gothic churches to become very thin and high in comparison to the earier Romanesque era. They allowed for far more windows and larger windows to be built. Gothic Churches are typically very high and filled with light. The new Gothic structure has been thought of as a form of stone scaffolding that was designed to hold glass into place. ( Gombrich 1984)

Structure of Gothic Church Image courtesy of nvcc.edu

Interior of St Denis, Paris . You can see the Clerestory and Triforium of Glass

Gothic Tracery – Stone Tracery was used to make elaborate designs and patterns in windows. The function of tracery was to hold in panels of glass.

Rose Window; Notre Dame, Paris. View of the exterior and the interior.

Gothic Architecture went through three distinct phases (O’Sullivan, Sharpe):

• Early phase / transitional phase
• High Phase/ Classic Phase/ Rayonnant Style
• Late Gothic – also called the ‘ Flamboyant ‘ Gothic Style

Early Phase Gothic Architecture ( 1150 – 1200)

Chartres Cathedral and Notre Dame (Paris)are examples of Early Gothic style. They are higher and lighter in appearance than the Romanesque style but they are not as heavily decorated as the later Gothic periods. Look at Chartes Cathedral – the South tower on the right appears very plain compared to the North Tower( on the left) which was built some 300 years later in the late or “ Flamboyant “ Gothic Style.

• 

  Early Gothic Churches

  
  
  High Phase/ Classic Phase/ Rayonnant style ( 1200 – 1300)
  High Gothic Churches have massive deep portals (doorways) capped by pinnacles, with large Rose Windows and a great deal of decorated surfaces. There is very little area on the Church that is plain or undecorated.

High/ Classic Gothic Churches

Late Gothic or ‘Flamboyant” Phase (1300 – 1550)

The Gothic tendency to lighten structure and add decoration was taken to extremes during the Late Gothic period. The facade of these churches took on “ an organic, encrusted appearance”            ( O’Sullivan ). There is almost no space that is plain or undecorated.Rouen Cathedral and Milan Cathedral are good examples of the Late/Flamboyant Gothic Style.

Rouen Cathedral – Late Gothic

Milan Cathedral – Late Gothic

Special Study; Chartres Cathedral

Chartres is considered to be one of the finest examples of Gothic architecture and is an UNESCO World Heritage Site. Building first started in 1145. After a fire in 1194 the Cathedral was reconstructed over a 26 year period. The North Tower was rebuilt the 16th Century after a lightening strike destroyed the original tower.

The Cathedral is in a cruciform shape. The interior of the Chartres cathedral is remarkable; the nave is wider than that of any other cathedral in France (52 feet, or 16 meters). At the back of the Cathedrals apse is an ambulatory leading to a series of seven chapels – there are three deep rounded chapels and three shallow rounded chapels and one large rectangular chapel called the chapel of St Piat .

Groundplan of Chartres Cathedral

View of Chartres Cathedral

Chartes Cathedral – West Facade

Gothic Period-Architecture

Gothic Architecture directly develops from Romanesque. Many of the technical difficulties encountered by church builders became characteristics of the Gothic Period. The problem of the heavy rounded arch and the pressure on the walls through thrust is solved through a combination of ribs, pointed arches,

and groin vaulted roofs.

• Thrust-Pressure from the roof through the roof onto the walls.
• Pointed Arch
• Ribs-Reinforcement in the roof.
• Groin Vaulted Roof-. Roof made of two intersecting vaults 

Groin Vaulted Nave in Chartres Cahtedral

As Roofs became lighter, this allowed for thinner walls and bigger windows. Bigger windows allowed for the development of the art of Stained Glass Windows, especially the Rose window. The other technical development that helped sort the problem of Thrust was the use of buttresses, especially the Flying Buttress. Flying Buttresses were a typical characteristic of the Gothic Period.

• Thinner walls-Bigger Windows.
• Rose window-Round window over doorway whose tracery gives the pattern and appearance of a flower.
• Tracery-Carved supporting stone work in windows and openings.
• Buttress- Vertical Stone support on the outside of a wall.
• Flying Buttress- Buttress that are connected to and supports a wall using arches.

 Flying Buttress Chartres-Note the Celestory Window in the right corner

Gothic Sculpture

 

 

Video looking at stained glass in Chartres Chathedral

http://youtu.be/9727p6ozlYo

 

 

Windows

Perhaps the most distinctive feature of Chartres Cathedral is the extent to which architectural structure has been adapted to meet the needs of stained glass. The use of a three-part elevation with external buttressing allowed for far larger windows than earlier designs, particularly at the clerestory level. Most cathedrals of the period had a mixture of windows containing plain or grisaille glass and windows containing dense stained glass panels, with the result that the brightness of the former tended to diminish the impact and legibility of the latter. At Chartres, nearly all of the 176 windows were filled with equally dense stained glass, creating a relatively dark but richly coloured interior in which the light filtering through the myriad narrative and symbolic windows was the main source of illumination.



 

The south transept rose (10.5 m diameter, made c.1225–30) is dedicated to Christ, who is shown in the central oculus, right hand raised in benediction, surrounded by adoring angels. Two outer rings of twelve circles each contain the 24 Elders of the Apocalypse, crowned and carrying phials and musical instruments. The central lancet beneath the rose shows the Virgin carrying the infant Christ. Either side of this are four lancets showing the four evangelists sitting on the shoulders of four Prophets – a rare literal illustration of the theological principle that the New Testament builds upon the Old Testament. This window was a donation of the Mauclerc family, the Counts of Dreux-Bretagne, who are depicted with their arms in the bases of the lancets

green=immortality/life

dark blue=Virgin Mary

light blue=peace

red= charity/blood of Christ/Christ’s passion

orange=speaking in tongue or in the words of Jesus

purple=royaltyàJesus from line of David/Jesse Tree

white= purity/innocence/ holy spirit

yellow/gold= power/glory/halo/gates of heaven

 

Blue Virgin Window (12th Century)

 Rose Window Chartres Cathedral

 Large Rose Window-Complex Tracery

Portals  became deeper and were lined with columns and statues.(Royal Portal, Chartes) Pinnacles are developed over the Portals and contain sculpted figures. Other areas on the front of the Church now contain sculpture. Some have a string (horizontal band) of Larger than Life figures. Pilasters are now use to decorate and give relief to the flat areas on the façade. This in turn develops into organic shapes, carved plants and further up the towers gargoyles overlook  the people below.

• Portal-Doorway
• Pinnacle- Pointed High point over doorway, usually triangular in shape.
• Pilaster-False pillars on the surface of a wall or pillar.
• Gargoyle-Animal shape carved from stone usually disguising a drainpipe.

 The Royal Portal Form the West Works at Chartres-Kings and Queens

Early Gothic Period-Experimental

Chartres Cathedral is probably the best known of the early Gothic Cathedrals. It has most of its original features and Sculpture intact, and it is one of the best examples for the Leaving Cert Art History. It has a good story behind it, which adds to the flavour. It and the town were both burned in a fire leaving only the West works(main doorway) standing. The good people thought that their relic of the Virgins Birthing Gown was destroyed in the fire and were duly devastated. They later discovered the relic safe and intact in the crypt, which led to great joy and was the impetus for a massive rebuilding campaign. Apparently such were the donations from the whole of France that the Church was rebuilt in half the normal timeframe.

Chartres has all the typical Gothic Features.

West Works at Chartres Cathedral-Note the towers in different styles.

• Westworks with 3 portals and two towers.
• Rose Windows.
• Large Stained Glass Windows in the Celestory.
• Tracery in the windows.
• Pointed Arches and Groin Vaulted Roofs.
• Thinner walls supported by Flying Buttresses.

It is also a good example to find;

• Early examples of stone Carved figures.
• Pilasters.
• Pinnacles and Tympanums decorated with sculpted figures.
• Horizontal /Strings rows of carved standing figures.

The front of Chartres has two towers in different styles, the one on the left is in the early Experimental style and the right hand one is in the later Classical style. Chartres has also got great examples of early sculpture. The Royal Portal in the Western Portal (front) is in the early style and the Figures in the Northern Portal contain more developed figures in the later High or Middle Gothic Style.

Royal Portal

• ·        Tall elongated slender figures.
• ·        Kings and Queens are the main figures.
• ·        Figures have graceful poses. (no movement in figure)
• ·        Figures have graceful Facial Expressions.
• ·        The Clothing of the figures is highly decorated with linear Patterns.
• ·        Clothing does not depict the figure beneath them.
• ·        The archivolts are filled with decorative figures

The Northern Portal.

• ·        Dedicated to the Virgin
• ·        St Anne is the central figure.
• ·        Abraham and Issac stand with other figures to the left.
• ·        The figures are more 3-dimensional.
• ·        They are more proportionally correct compared to the figures of the west doorway.

Middle Gothic Period-Rayonant/Classic/High

A good example of a church from this period is Reims Cathedral. It has all the classic Gothic features, but has more decoration on the outside of the church. For example when looking at the Towers on the front you can see the decorative pinnacles over the narrow Lancet openings. Also evident are the vertical pilasters carved onto the surface of the towers. These draw the eye upwards and give a feeling of height. The final thing that is very noticeable is the development of the tracery in the rose windows. In Rheims the window tracery is more complex, but also more organic in appearance-more flower like, thus the name Rose window. The overall effect is one of balance and elegance. Even though there is a lot more sculpture and decorative stone carving in use, there is a balance between the carving and the structure. There are areas of activity and busyness as well as areas of calmness and solidity. This is a characteristic of churches from this period, a blend and balance between decoration and structure.

• Reims - Balance between area of carving and structure.
• Vertical pinnacles
• Vertical Pilasters.
• Tall Lancet openings.

 Reims-West Works-Note the more complex carving.

Late Gothic-Flamboyant.

Roeun Cathedral is a good example of a church from this period. It  almost assaults the senses with its organic and encrusted surfaces. Gone is the balance achieved in the High Period, and what we have is exaggeration and competition between the different carved surfaces for attention. There is still great skill and artistic development in the art of carving, but sense of calmness harmony is lost with this church. There are wonderful examples of elaborate tracery,  carved open work pinnacles that balance over the great portals. But the overall sense of a plan seems to be overwhelmed by the different parts.  

Roeun-Over the top decoration-exaggeration.

Competition by various parts for attention.

Encrusted.

High Level of skills in stone carving

 

Roeun Cathedral-West Works

For More notes on Gothic Sculpture see links below:



http://www.pdst.ie/node/4155 http://www.slideshare.net/mfresnillo/gothic-sculpture Videos of the sculpture on Chartres Cathedral And Reims Cathedral http://youtu.be/ojflukReDSQ http://youtu.be/la87j2ES914 Romanesque/Gothic Exam Questions Read over the following past exam questions and then make out a paragraph plan or mind map and see how much of the question you actually know. If you are unable to cover all parts, then you will need to read up the information and then try again. European Section 2013   The façade of a Gothic cathedral must have made a powerful impression on  approaching worshippers.    Discuss this statement with reference to one named Gothic cathedral you have studied.  In your discussion refer to architectural features and sculptural decoration.     and    Briefly describe the role of stained-glass in a Gothic cathedral.     Illustrate your answer European Section 2012 Name and discuss in detail the two sculptures illustrated on the accompanying sheet,  making reference to the periods in which they were produced, and to their themes,  composition and style.    and    Discuss briefly the role of sculpture in a named medieval church/cathedral that you  have studied.      Illustrate your answer European Section 2011 Discuss the ways in which the main architectural and decorative features of Romanesque churches differ from those of Gothic cathedrals. In your answer name one Romanesque church and one Gothic cathedral, and make detailed reference to scale, structure, layout and decoration. and Name and discuss briefly one example of Gothic sculpture that you have studied. Illustrate your answer. European Section 2010 The Christian church influenced the development of art and architecture during the Romanesque period. Discuss this statement making detailed reference to the structure, layout and decoration of one named church from the period. and Name and discuss briefly one example of Romanesque sculpture that you have studied. Illustrate your answer. European Section 2007 Romanesque sculpture had decorative and narrative functions. Discuss this statement in relation to two named examples of Romanesque sculpture you have studied. Emphasise the treatment of the human figure in your answer and name a Romanesque church you have studied and discuss briefly the relationship between its architecture and sculpture. Illustrate your answer. You can copy and paste the questions into a word document and then highlight the significant parts so you know the key areas to look into. When you got that done then make out your mind map or paragraph plan and check it against what I will post for you.

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