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Home , Bamberg Cathedral, Chartres Cathedral, Strasbourg Cathedral, Suger, Triforium

Gothic Europe Overview

1140-1194 Early Gothic ● At and Reims in , at Naumburg in , and elsewhere, statues become more ● Abbot Suger begins rebuilding the French royal independent of their architectural setting at Saint Denis with and rib ● Manuscript illumination moves from monastic scriptoria to vaults on pointed urban lay workshops, especially in ● At Saint Denis and Chartres , sculpted jamb figures adorn all three portals of the west facade 1300-1500 Late Gothic ● The builders of Laon Cathedral insert a as the fourth story in the elevation ● THe style in France and the Perpendicular style in emphasize surface embellishment over 1194-1300 structural clarity. Characteristic features are delicate webs of flame like and fan vaults with pendants ● The rebuilt sets the pattern for High resembling stalactites Gothic churches, four part nave vaults braced by external ● The humanization of holy figures in statutory continues, flying buttresses, three story elevation (, triforium, especially in Germany, where sculptors dramatically record ) and stained glass windows in place of heavy the suffering of Jesus. masonry

France

West Facade, Saint Denis, 1135-1140

● In france, the Gothic style, born in and around Paris quickly came to be known as opus francigenum (French Work), or opus modernum (modern work) ● The gothic style was born out of a period of long peace and widespread economic prosperity, deep spirituality, and technological innovation. France

West Facade, Saint Denis, 1135-1140

● Gothic, much like Romanesque, was a coined term much later than the style, by Giorgio Vasari 1511-1574 in the book Introduction to the Three arts of Design (1550) ● Vasari attributed late medieval art and to the goths (Gothic). Vasari attributed the style with scathing negativity, barbaric. He called it monstrous and barbaric. ● Treatises like these give the common misconception that the medieval period was a state of decline, of bad artwork. ● To the contrary, Gothic was the great high point of western art. France

West Facade, Saint Denis, 1135-1140

● Intellectual and religious life shifted greatly in Gothic and Romanesque periods. ● Shifts from monasteries in rural areas to rapidly expanding cities. ● Cities allowed for prosperous mechants, (trade), with guilds forming around vast trades of skilled labor. ● Scholars founded the first modern universities ● Vernacular literature (spoken in local languages rather than latin, english, french, spanish, italian.) Romance languages. ● Papacy was at the height of its powers at this time. France

West Facade, Saint Denis, 1135-1140

● Generally people agree that the story of began in the Ile-de-France and the earliest manifestation of the new style appeared a few miles north of paris at the abbey of Saint Denis ● Saint Dionysius (Denis in French) missionary who brought to Gaul and died a martyr there in third century CE. ● Story said that Denis stood up and marched to his grave carrying his severed head in his hands. France

West Facade, Saint Denis, 1135-1140

● Generally people agree that the story of Gothic art began in the Ile-de-France and the earliest manifestation of the new style appeared a few miles north of paris at the abbey of Saint Denis ● Saint Dionysius (Denis in French) missionary who brought Christianity to Gaul and died a martyr there in third century CE. ● Story said that Denis stood up and marched to his grave carrying his severed head in his hands. ● In the 7th century an abbey was built on the site of his grave ● Around 1000 ce, a was constructed, housing the saint’s tomb as well as all the French kings dating back to the 6th century. France

Interior Saint-Denis Ambulatory, 1140- 1144

● 1122 A monk named Suger (1108-1151) became Abbot. (Abbot Suger) of Saint- Denis ● The old church was in disrepair and had become too small to accommodate traveling pilgrims ● Suger believed that the basilica was of insufficient grandeur to serve as the official church of the French monarchy. ● 1135 he began a major campaign to rebuild the church and the construction began in 1140. ● Suger Died before the church was completely finished, it was a mixture between the basilica and the components that are known as gothic, rib vaults on pointed arches. France

Interior Saint-Denis Ambulatory, 1140- 1144

● https://youtu.be/2EciWH-1ya4 ● France

Interior, Saint-Denis, France 1140- 1144

Repeated forms, with ribbed vaults and pointed arches.

● Allowed for less concrete and stone and freed up space for large openings to let more light in France

Plan of the east end, abbey church, Saint-Denis, France 1140-1144

Suger called for an opening of the space, creating an Ambulatory and small radiating chapels for the of Christian figures. France

West Facade of Chartres Cathedral, Chartres, France 1145-1155

● The innovative idea of filling the portal jambs with figurative began with Chartres Cathedral France

Royal Portal, west facade, Chartres Cathedral, Chartres France 1145-1155

Royal portal because of the figures of kings and queens flanking its doorways. https://youtu.be/w8QRG-Xc6oU

Notre Dame (Our Lady), referring to the Virgin Mary France

Royal Portal, west facade, Chartres Cathedral, Chartres France 1145-1155

● Archivolts hold figures of the zodiac, and months and labors of the year. ● The second coming of christ is visible in the central ● Apostles are in the lower jambs. ● Mary is depicted in the right tympanum ● and sculpture maintain Mary’s importance, the mother of the savior. ● She stood compassionately between the last judge and the horrors of Hell. France

Jamb statues, kings and queen, right side of central doorway of the Royal Portal Chartres Cathedral, 1145-1155

● These are the royal ancestors of Christ and both figuratively and literally support the New Testament figures above the doorways. ● They wear clothes, and medieval observers regarded them as images of the kings and queens of france. ● https://youtu.be/ohWB3Wlh1S8 ● France

Left, Romanesque Barrel and ,

Right, Gothic .

Crossed diagonal arches form under the groins, a skeleton.

A pointed was developed to transfer more of the load down into the voussoirs, allowing for thinner columns and less buttressing. Ribs supported the weight of the structure using less mass. France

Laon Cathedral, Laon, France, begun 1190

Laon Cathedral retains many romanesque features, thick barrel vaulted portal, but the interior adopts many of the Gothic conventions. France

Laon Cathedral, Laon, France, begun 1190

● Bays are large barrel arches with clerestory level barrel arched openings, with the lower levels pointed arches ● Ceiling gothic rib vaulted. ● A combination of the romanesque style and Gothic style France

Notre Dame, Paris, France, begun 1163. Exterior nave view with flying butresses. 1180-1200, 1225 remodeled https://youtu.be/O61ng_QqC4I https://youtu.be/vKASY4H6QHo

● Rebuilt on the site of an original Merovingian era basilica ● Choir and were built by 1182 ● The Nave by 1225, and the facade by 1250-1260. ● In place of a triforium over the gallery was a small glass oculus. Windows filled two of the four stories, further reducing the masonry area France

Notre Dame, Paris, France, begun 1163. Exterior nave view with flying butresses. 1180-1200, 1225 remodeled

● The made this lack of structural wall, and added glass window possible, by placing the load bearing components of the building on the outside, the walls could be taller, with taller and greater number of windows could be placed. France

Cutaway view of a typical French Gothic cathedral. Arial view of Chartres Cathedral, Chartres, France rebuilt 1194

● Churches burned frequently, unexpectedly requiring church officials to raise money for new building campaigns. ● In contrast to monastic churches that could be completed quickly and were small, these churches construciton extended into decades and centuries. ● They required a large workforce of quarry workers, masons, sculptors, glaziers, and metalsmiths. ● Financing for these projects depended on collections and were many times not voluntary. ● Shortfalls of income meant work stopped periodically as well as periods of wars, famines,and plagues. Arial view of Chartres Cathedral, Chartres, France rebuilt 1194

● Friction between town and cathedral development authorities would cause work to stop. ● Churches like Chartres renovation started the practice of the taking money for indulgences, a sinner gives the church money in exchange for that sin to be wiped off their spiritual record. ● Chartres reconstruction took 27 years with a riot occurring in the middle over a tremendous tax hike, with the bishop of the church in exile for 4 years. ● Post renovation Chartres Cathedral is generally recognized as the first “High Gothic” cathedral Interior, Chartres Cathedral, Chartres, France. https://youtu.be/aiiKVSnQSFI Interior, Chartres Cathedral, Chartres, France. https://youtu.be/aiiKVSnQSFI France

Rose window and lancets, north transept, Chartres Cathedral. 1220, Stained glass, 43ft dia.

● Abbot suger called the light entering into a church through stained glass (LUX NOVA), new light. The heavenly aura that fills the interior of the church ● Hugh of Saint Victor said about them” Stained glass windows are the holy scriptures, and since their brilliance lets the splendor of the True Light pass into the church, they enlighten those inside.” ● Manufacture of these windows were costly and labor intensive. France

Rose window and lancets, north transept, Chartres Cathedral. 1220, Stained glass, rose window 43ft dia.

● Stained glass creates a darker interior (opposed to clear glass), but transforms the character of the church’s interior in dramatic fashion ● Similar to byzantine churches with mosaics, Gothic architecture used the back lit stained glass to display tremendous iconography, while byzantine churches employed rich mosaics that bounced light off its golden tiles. France

Virgin and child, and angels, detail of a window in the choir of Chartres Cathedral, Chartres France 1170 https://youtu.be/lOi1NXk-rU8 France

Saint Theodore, jamb statue in the left portal of the porch of the Martyrs, south trancept, Chartres Cathedral, Chartres, France 1230

● Example of high gothic sculpture, more separate from the architecture, early gothic and romanesque was engaged to the architcture. ● Saint Theodore the martyred warrior, portrayed as an ideal christian knight, clothing him in current 11th century attire, cloak and chain mail. He is in a light contrapposto stance ● France

West facade of , Amiens France 1220

● Architects Robert De Luzarches, Thomas De Cormont, and Renaud De Cormont ● https://youtu.be/w1MjO7KkdEo ● Amiens proportions are more slender, with the use of greater windows in th clerestory and triforium. ● Confidence in the use of the complete high gothic structural vocabulary ● The rectangular bay system ● Four part rib vault ● External buttressing allowed for the elimination of thick heavy masses and thick weight bearing walls. ● Self sustaining skeletal architecture, the walls were nothing more than to provide a screen to keep out the weather. France

Interior, of Amiens Cathedral, Amiens France, Begun 1220

● Viewed from below, the choir vaults, and nave vaults resemble a canopy, tent like and suspended from bundled masses. ● There is a lightness, an effortless strength not normally associated with stone architecture. ● Light is used to make the vaults seem even more light and effortless. France

Christ, Beau Dieu, Trumeau statue of the central doorway, Amiens France.

● Greeting worshippers as they enter the cathedral is the statue that the french call Beau Dieu (Beautiful God) ● Christ is above in the great central tympanum with the representation of Christ as last judge ● The Trumeau Christ does not strike terror into sinners, he blesses those who enter the church and tramples a lion and a dragon symbolizing the evil forces in the world. France

Interior of the upper chapel, Sainte Chapelle Paris France, 1243-1248

● https://youtu.be/828f2Tlojvc ● King Louis IX favored the high gothic style (radiant) ● Not so much walls as a skeletal ribbed frame that held the enormous stained glass ● These were the largest stained glass pieces of their time, 49ft tall 15ft wide ● Louis Ix had built St Chapelle to house the crown of thorns and other relics that he had purchased from his cousin Baldwin II, the latin emperor of Constantinople France

Virgin and Child (Virgin of Paris) Notre Dame Paris, France early 14th century

● Mary portrayed in an exaggerated s curve posture typical of late gothic sculpture ● SHe is a worldly queen and wears a gem encrusted crown, much like kings and queens of the period ● CHrist reaching towards her mother, a tender humanizing scene common in the court style of high gothic sculpture ● West facade of Saint Maclou, Rouen France 1500-1514 https://youtu.be/G24p-6k8Ods

● Break with the norms of High gothic, (Flamboyant Style) named for the flame like appearance of its pointed bar tracery occurred in the 14th century ● The shrine is intimate, only 75 ft tall and 180 ft long compared to the enormous 13th c , that were among the tallest structures in the world until the late 19th early 20th centuries. ● Late gothic tracery hid the building’s structure. France

Aerial view of the fortified town of Carcassone, France https://youtu.be/MjLQ2iJfktY

● A regional center of resistance to the northern forces of royal France ● Originally built in roman times, it has Visigothic walls dating from the 6th century ● A heavily defended city, it was virtually impossible to conquer France

God as Creator of the World, Bible from Paris France 1220-1230

● Illustration at top has text that is in French, Not Latin. ● “Here God creates heaven and earth the sun and the moon, and all the elements.” ● The painter depicted god in the process of creating the world with a compass ● Use of the geometric principles of the universe ● Geometry had increased significance in gothic times, the triangle signified the holy trinity, the circle, has no beginning or end, symbolizes the eternity of the one God, ● Gothic architects based their designs on the art of geometry, building forms out of abstract shapes.

France

Virgin of Jeanne d’evreux, from the abbey of Saint Denis France 1339

● Along with illuminated manuscripts, the royal family also patronized goldsmiths and others making luxury works. ● The wealthy purchased statuettes of sacred figures which they used for private donation or as gifts to churches. ● The virgin mary was a favored subject of the time with elevated status in gothic sculpture ● Base contained scenes of Christ’s crucifixion ● No hint of Grief on Mary’s face holding baby Jesus ● She holds the scepter with Fleur de Lis, a item of French Rule, ● Also a reliquary, it is also believed the statue has a compartment contain hairs from the virgin Mary England

Aerial view of Salisbury Cathedral, Salisbury England 1220-1258

● https://youtu.be/x1hlRK7dWLA ● English Gothic reflects a sensibility emphasising linear pattern and horizontality instead of structural logic and verticality. ● The architect of this building did not attempt to reach the soaring heights of the french counterparts ● Employs a long rectilinear plan with a double transept (Cross wings) ● England

Interior Salisbury Cathedral, Salisbury England 1220-1258 England

Choir of Gloucester Cathedral, Gloucester, England 1332-1357

● Perpendicular style takes its name from the pronounced verticality of its decorative details, in contrast to the horizontal emphasis of Salisbury and Early english gothic England

Fan Vaults of the chapel of Henry VII, , London 1503- 1519 https://youtu.be/afzg6fvI55c Germany

Nicholas of Verdun, Shrine of the Three Kings, begun 1190.

● The shape resembles a basilica plan church ● Repousse figures of the virgin mary and 3 magi, old testament , and new testament apostles in arcuated frames. ● A reliquary shrine. Belongings of the magi (or believed to be) are placed inside Holy Roman

Death of the virgin, tympanum of the left doorway, Cathedral, Strasbourg France. 1230

● Mary on her deathbed being cared for ● The 12 apostles gather, forming an arch of mourners suited to the semicircular frame ● Christ is in the center receiving his mother’ s soul (the doll like figure he is holding. Holy Roman/Germany

Naumburg Master, Crucifixion, west choir screen of Naumburg Cathedral. 1249-1255

● The choir screen functions as a portal to the choir inside the cathedral. ● Christ is in the Trumeau crucified, in the trumeau with his arms nailed to the arms of the crucifix on the door lintel ● Suffering Jesus, Mary on right jamb, not looking at her son in pain. ● A remarkable example of what the exterior of the church might have looked like, this is inside away from the elements ● https://youtu.be/0POOCXhl348? list=PLm38RbKnrb8b5dpmTMMD38RRx5I 0Khqqm ● Germany

Equestrian portrait ( Rider), Bamberg Cathedral, Germany, 1235- 1240

● Bamberg rider, the oldest preserved large scale equestrian statue of the ● Remember the equestrian statue has significance from roman times, the statue of emperor marcus aurelius, mistaken for constantine, who sanctioned christianity in the roman world. ● Also a heavy used motif in Byzantine and the Carolingian world. ● Germany

Rottgen Pieta, from the Rhineland, Germany 1300-1325

● A Haunting pieta sculpture a wood painted statuette ● Pieta is a convention in Medieval/Renaissance europe of the virgin mary holding a dead christ, off the cross. ● https://youtu.be/JbWGusfynCw ● In comparison to Michelangelo’s version this one humanizes and exaggerates the suffering of both the pain of christ and the pain of loss of mary who loses her son. ● Stiffened to death and covered in streams of blood