Gothic08post

Gothic
Art

Notre Dame, Paris vs. St. Sernin, Toulousse

Gothic Cathedrals vs. Romanesque
Taller, more open structures
High use of stained glass windows
Rose Windows
Smaller Transepts
Use of Flying Buttresses vs. Salient Buttresses
Much more decoration in terms of façade sculpture
Use of the Pointed Arch

The Abbey of Saint-Denis
About four miles north of Paris lies the Abbey of Saint-Denis. Originally founded in 630 by King Dagobert, it sits at the site of Saint Denis' martyrdom. The abbey underwent a reconstruction in the 12th century under Abbot Suger and became one of the earliest instances of Gothic architecture.The church grew in fame. Joan of Arc blessed her weapons here, and many French rulers and aristocrats were buried in its crypt, including Louis XII, Catherine de Medicis, Louis XVI, and Marie Antoinette. During the French Revolution, many royal tombs were desecrated and many sacred objects were lost. And in the years following, the church fell further into disrepair. It was, however, repaired under the rule of Napoleon.Among its treasures are a number of elaborate 12th Century stained-glass windows, carved tombs, mosaics, and the French Regalia, which were objects used during the coronation of French kings.

“a circular string of chapels by virtue of which the whole {church} would shine with the wonderful and uninterrupted light of most luminous windows, pervading the interior beauty”
exterior buttresses of St. Denis
right: plan of choir of St. Denis.

Important Dates
1054 - Great Schism (East & West)
1095 – First Crusade ordered by Pope Urban II
1309 – 1378 – The Avignon Papacy (7 popes starting with Clement V)
1337 - Hundred Years War (Valois and Plantangenents)
1348 – The Black Death

“Gothic” Art
"Then arose new architects who after the manner of their barbarous nations erected buildings in that style which we call Gothic (deiGotthi)." Florentine historiographer Giorgio Vasari (1511–1574)

http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/mgot/hd_mgot.htm
a transcendent experience of architecture is reinforced by the rich stained glass windows
The shimmering, colored light called to mind the heavenly Jerusalem described in the Book of Revelations (the Apocalypse) as a city of gold and precious stones.

“the holy city, new Jerusalem coming down from God out of heaven…having the glory of God, and her light like a most precious stone, even like a jasper clear as crystal…and the city was pure gold, like clear glass…whose foundations were garnished with all manner of gems: jasper, sapphire, chalcedony, emerald, sardonyx, sardius, chrysolite, beryl, topaz, chrysoprase, jacinth, amethyst…” – Abbott Suger

These are flying buttresses from Saint Denis. They are located on both the north and south sides of the church as well as around the east side connecting to the chevet. They were added on during the massive reconstruction of the church in the 12th century because a greater system of support was needed. The walls were made taller and without these flying buttresses they would have most likely fallen down. Flying buttresses work to support the walls by capturing the thrust from the inside walls, which travels through these buttresses' arms and then down the stationary buttresses that they are attached to. The thrust then reaches the base of these stationary buttresses, supporting the whole structure. Flying buttresses are common on most Gothic churches like Notre Dame and Chartres because the structures were made so large and tall and they needed extra support to hold them up. Flying buttresses were not necessary at the Carolingian Saint Denis because the structure was smaller and did not need much support. After the reconstruction the extra support was essential.
St. Denis

This is the central nave of the Abbey Church of Saint Denis. This is yet another part of the church that was reconstructed in the beginning of the Gothic era, although not under the supervision of Abbot Suger who died before it was rebuilt. This part of the church is based on the foundation of the Carolingian church, which is buried beneath the ornate decorations of the Gothic influence. You can see in the picture above why the flying buttresses are needed: the walls of the nave are very high. There is a man sitting in one of the chairs, which allows you to see how large this structure is in relation to a person.The nave ceiling is vaulted with pentapartite groin vaults, that is, they are divided into four sections by two diagonal ribs and every other alternating vault is a single pointed arch (see picture below). The ribbed vaulting is similar to that found in cathedrals such as Durham. This type of vaulting system was quite popular in the Gothic period.

As you walk through the nave to the east end of the church, you come to the transept, which is the horizontal area that intersects with the nave. This particular transept is stubby; its arms are shorter than most other transepts. Most of the transepts from the Gothic time period are shorter than those from the Romanesque era. Cathedrals such as Amiens and Reims have transepts with arms similar in length to that at Saint Denis. One thing that is unique about the transept at Saint Denis is that it is the mausoleum for all of the kings and queens of France. If you go to either the north or south sides of the transept at Saint Denis you can see the tombs of the many kings and queens that are here.

This is an example of one of the effigy figures from Saint Denis. This particular king is Phillipe IV Le Bel who died in 1314. These figures are carved to resemble the actual person who died. Although tomb figures can be found throughout the world from many time periods those at Saint Denis are unique because they are of all of the kings and queens of France. No other French cathedral has a display of royal effigy figures like that here at Saint Denis.

Gothic Architecture
Saint Denis, Saint Denis
First Gothic building
Inspired by patron, Abbot Suger
Gets away from the sense of wall, opens up spaces in the ambulatory
Spatial unity, spaces in apse flow one into the other: key to the understanding of the Gothic style
Minimize mass and weight
Small scale of building, it appears larger than it is
Coming together of rib vaults, pointed arches, clustered linear accents, increased spatial flow
Maximizing use of stained glass

Chartres Cathedral of Notre Dame Glass
Incarnation window (Life of Christ) c. 1134
Adoration of the Magi 1150

Gothic Stained Glass Windows
Intricate pieces of colored glass joined bylead caning
Illustrated biblical stories, Saint’s lives, and occasionally contemporary scenes of workers
Jewel like colors and brilliance
Painted surfaces
Later Gothic windows allow more clarity and light into cathedral through lighter colors

Chartres
Notre Dame

Laon Cathedral began around 1160, on the site of an ancient basilica that had burned down in 1111 during an insurrection. The new cathedral was completed in 1230.

http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/mgot/hd_mgot.htm
an irresistible upward pull symbolic of the Christian hope of leaving the terrestrial world for a heavenly realm

Gothic Architecture
Notre Dame, Paris
Façade:
Ground floor: portal sculpture
Second floor: King’s gallery of 28 kings of the Old Testament
Third floor: Rose window for stained glass
Fourth floor: Grand gallery for hanging of bells
Fifth floor: bell towers
Gargoyles a 19th century addition, not original to the building

west façade of
Chartres Cathedral
, c. 1134-1220,
France (Gothic).

North Transept, left side
West Entrance

Melchizedek, Abraham with Isaac, Moses, Samuel, and David

Jamb figures of Confessors with St. Theodore on the right. South Transept of Chartres Cathedral.

Gothic Sculpture
Royal Portals, Chartres Cathedral
Dominant columnar shape of jamb figures
Robes almost hypnotic in concentric concentration, no nervous excitement as in Romanesque
Far more rounded in volume than Romanesque, more 3d
Rippling sense of surface
Heads: serene, slightly heavy eyes, benevolent
Salvation stressed rather than the terror of judgment as in Romanesque
Bands of pockets of light and shadow
Each piece of stone is united with column behind
Jamb statues stand attached to wall, but also in front of it
Greater than life size
Hanging long robes
Architecture dominates
Christ in tympanum: tranquil ease, delicate, strong

Reims Cathedral

Chartres
Reims

Gothic Sculpture
Visitation, Reims Cathedral
Classical look, i.e. Greek contrapposto imitated
Heads look like ancient Roman portraits
Figures start to converse through gesture and expression
Emerge more from the wall

Virgin of Paris
Worldly queen, royal garments
Gem-encrusted crown
Free-standing work
Christ richly attired, infant prince
Body hard to read behind drapery
Notre Dame, Paris 13th century

Dormition of the Virgin, Strasbourg Cathedral, 1240

Gothic Sculpture
Ekkehard and Uta
Stately, quiet, regal
Almost portrait statues
Attached to wall behind
Ekkehard: blunt, heavy-set, pouting, hand on sword as protector of the family
Uta: graceful, aloof, gown is so long that she must pick it up to walk
Body revealed beneath clothes
Naumburg Cathedral, 13th century

St. Maurice, 1240 – 50
Egyptian commender of Christian troops in Roman Army in late 3rd century.

Salisbury Cathedral, 1220 – 58
And nave view

Salisbury vs. Chartres

Gothic Architecture outside France
Salisbury Cathedral, Salisbury
English Gothic buildings: located in a park called a close
Façade does not correspond to interior
Sculpture covers façade
Small towers
Small portals
Emphasis on central tower
Buttresses subdued
Horizontal look of interior
Two transepts
Larger apse
Excessive length of nave
English favor walls that meet at right angles

Chapel of Henry VII, Westminster Abbey, London
Culmination of English Perpendicular style
More vertical than Salisbury
Architectural embroidery
Fan vaults hang like stalactites
Lierne vaulting

Saint Elizabeth, Marburg
Without a use of a parade of flying buttresses
Double rows of tall windows
More unified and free-flowing
Hall church format: nave and side aisles same height, unified space interior
Exterior unified and compact

Milan Cathedral, Milan, 1386
Spacious hall church
Reduced clerestory level
Small flying buttresses
Italian characteristic of unusual width of cathedrals
Renaissance pediments
Heavily decorated exterior
Classical elements of the Renaissance added to façade
Extremely protracted construction period

The Cathedral Pulpit is Giovanni Pisano's masterpiece, and was built between 1302 and 1311. The beautifully sculpted panels represent scenes from the life of Jesus.The Baptistery Pulpit was built in 1260 by Nicola Pisano. It is hexagonal in shape and the six sculpted panels depict the life and death of Christ.
Note the trefoil Gothic Arches, Corinthian capitalscrouching lions and eagle book rest
Nicola Pisano
Pisa Baptistry

Nicola Pisano and Giovanni Pisano

CoppodiMarcovaldo. Crucifix, c. 1250

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Gothic08post

by bassmanb on Nov 28, 2009

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