Gothic
The Romanesque period –in the north quickly changed into the Gothic
Background—the WHY
building a church would take many years-40-50 was not uncommon-
it created local employment-- quarrying the stone and hauling it-.
building the scaffolding, etc but more important , there would
be an influx of travelling/itinerant tradesmen and craftsmen who
would need housing and food - it was a big event for an area-
socially - to meet people from across Europe and exchange ideas-
and it often created a town
Gothic architecture is a product of the new wealth in the towns
The Crusades-
1.Weakened the status quo of the feudal system reduced the power of the upper classes -many died, or gone for years- they lasted for over 200 years-they spent their fortune equipping a campaign
the merchants got rich resulting in- …
2. Growth of middle class
3. Growth of towns along the routes of pilgrims and crusades
* It seems that every time there is a time of prosperity and urban growth there is a flowering of the arts
4. the Crusades reintroduced the West to the ancient world via the Byzantine Empire. It was an eye-opening experience- running water ,sewers, excellent medical care, paved streets with lights buildings like HAGIA SOPHIA-villas, and baths. The crusaders came from small market towns-or castles that were cold and dark with small open slits for windows, unwashed bodies-clothes that were seldom washed-and they went to a sunny climate
-some crusaders never came back-by choice
THEY FOUND” MANY NEW RELICS TO BRING BACK
A secondary effect- the powerful few that survived became more powerful
-over bigger areas-nation states like England and France formed during this time
5 Contact with new diseases-leprosy-crusaders introduced it to Europe-
travel brought the BLACK DEATH- bubonic plague came on ships from E-silk route
like ROMANESQUE the term Gothic was given [LATER]to the style of building and was derogatory- the Renaissance looked at these fantastic buildings and compared them to the harmonious, symmetrical, logical, balanced building of the ancients and thought they must have been built by the barbarians - the Goths.
The Romanesque churches had prepared the way- the builders had learned a great deal about how to create huge buildings- but there was still no roman concrete-so the challenge will be to go higher without it.
The Romanesque period lasted a fairly short time in the north –only 50 years and it took so long to build a church that some began as Romanesque and finished as Gothic
It is possible to know exactly when and where GOTHIC began-in outskirts of Paris in the Abbey Church of St Denis..
Saint Dionysus [Denis in French] was the apostle who brought Christianity to Gaul[France]and who was martyred there in the 3rd century. The church held his tomb and became the Royal church for French kings. Even a banner that belonged to Charlemagne is there but---
by the year 1135 it was in need of repairs and it was too small to handle the growing number of pilgrims.
ABBOT SUGER decided to make it a wonderful place first he rebuilt the façade
then the altar end- the ambulatory and radiating chapels and he did something never done- he took out the walls that separated the space and replace them with colored glass…
and it was done in 9 years – by 1144.
It is full of light-a metaphor in his mind for Divine Light- the vaults are high and the opened space was amazing to those who saw it. It was consecrated by the King and every one who saw it wanted to do the same—in their church
Suger felt that if people saw his church [God’s home on earth] full of beautiful stained glass they would know how much more fantastic heaven was. He spared no expense and had many gold and jewelled objects put in the church.
…so they may travel through the light to the true light of Christ’
Aimed for a spirituality-through riches and light- much use of rich fabrics and jewels
-to show that if these are the riches possible on earth-think what the City of God must be like
Note” there were other clergy who felt the opposite that even to sit in a garden and smell the roses was dangerous – that it was sinful to enjoy material things.
How did he build this open space?
1.He used Pointed Arches- much stronger than circular ones- direct the stress down-and could be made as high as you wanted without having to go wider with thick walls
2.-outside you can see narrow supports- buttresses- between the tall windows
And
3.He used rib vaults-[think–inside of an umbrella] not groin vaults
Note- some of these construction had been used already- he puts them together and this is the beginnings of the elements that make a true Gothic building
A story-
That he wanted his roof so high the builders said no such tree existed and he took them out and found 12 that were tall enough for his plan
We know this because he wrote about the process
St Denis was so amazing it became the modal for all Gothic Cathedrals-
Each Cathedral was the seat of the bishop-CATHEDRA-
Gothic architecture is Romanesque
vertical- high as possible R- low/barrel vault
spports not walls R- thick walls
outside complex-decorated- R-plain exterior
LIGHT/stained glass R- dark/ small windows
Between 1170 and 1270 more than 500 French buildings were built in the Gothic style- the style then spread to Spain, England and Germany --It remained a style of the Northern Europe[-not in Italy]
WHY?
Climate:Less sun more cold and snow--Steep roofs keep off snow
Large windows provide light/warmth-BREAKS UP THE WALL SPACE
in Italy the Romanesque style remains the style of choice for centuries –it stays cool –
Each was built in a TOWN- a result of a new prosperity – the largest building in the town- it becomes the centre of all activities- created a busy construction economy
- from the donations of the area and the work of the GUILDS
- workers were international and itinerant-ANONYMOUS
so large -several generations would come and go before it was see completed
Life expectancy was 30 -- child born when a cathedral was begun would never see it completed – his grandchildren might- it took 40 to 80 years on average- some longer-some were never completed
Builders would die or be killed-fall-be replaced- by another builder.
If you ran out of money you would take the relic on tour for a fundraiser
Each cathedral wanted to out do the last- in height until they collapsed
Built as a result of competing towns and bishops-to have the highest-the most beautiful-does this remind you of Greece?
What IS a gothic building?
1.- pointed arches instead of round /barrel vault
The thrust is more vertical-and takes the weight straight down
For an arch/barrel vault to go higher it had to also go wider(to maintain the perfect arc/circle)
would need to be even heavier to hold it in place-
a pointed arch can go higher and not need to go wider
2. Ribbed vaults:
2 barrel vaults at right angles create a groin vault-stronger
creates more places of support- to distribute the weight down
the GOTHIC addition to the groin vault is to make ribbed vaults
think of an umbrella -the spines are the ribs-
they would place mortar between the ribs-wait for it to dry
then remove the scaffolding and hope it held
this vault was very flexible- you could vary the shapes
the ribs completed the vertical lines of the piers
the effect was beautiful- airy- and gives the effect of soaring upward
strong enough to stand even when the buildings were now as high as 30 stories and more (highest buildings till the skyscrapers)
3.Flying buttresses- the walls did not hold up the building
not a new idea- the Romans had used buttresses on the outside of the Pantheon
flying- they are further away from the building and open-
like the legs of a spider
PROVIDE THE COUNTERTHRUST AGAINST THE SLENDER PIERS THAT WOULD TEND TO WANT TO BUCKLE OUTWARD
outside the building looks like a giant skeleton- inside there is no sign of support or heaviness-SPACE
vaults and buttresses held up the building- could do this without any need for walls-
THIS IS AN ARCHITECTURE NOT OF WALLS BUT OF SUPPORTS!
4.Now..the builder could HANG fragile walls of glass on this skeleton
the final Gothic element is huge windows of stained glass
the next building to do this will be our modern skyscrapers of glass and steel
GOTHIC CATHEDRALS(because they are the seat of the bishop/cathedra) are
More open
Better lit
Dynamic higher
Embody the new striving and idealism of the period
They lift our thoughts to heaven
Gothic cathedrals are as impressive outside as inside
They are so huge they force the viewer to participate to become physically involved in the act of looking- no single viewpoint offers a total view you have to move around the building to see it all
The glass acts as a connection to the outside
Chartres- the first completely Gothic construction
When the Cathedral of Chartres had a fire (one of many) the fear was that the holy relic – the tunic of the virgin Mary -had been lost
When it was saved the town took it as a sign that she had favoured their town and that they should rebuild a bigger and better cathedral in her name.
They built Chartres as it is today- in 26 years- a record.
It was dedicated to our lady. This became the norm for all cathedrals built thereafter- All Gothic cathedrals are dedicated to Notre Dame.
It is in the Middle Ages that the cult of the Virgin becomes widespread. Before Chartres she was not as important as the saints. Now they believed that the cathedral was her home on earth. At this time also the holy family grew- the medieval worshipper learned about Mary’s mother and father- Ann -Joachim
her nephews- she was as real and as important as a real mother- she was kind-a mediator between the judgement of God and sinful mankind.
Sculpture:
One of the big differences in the floor plan from Romanesque to Gothic is the new treatment of the TRANSEPT
-it appears much wider and shorter more wide open inside
Romanesque buildings--[like Early Christian] -retained a single entrance/facade
In Gothic cathedrals—it is possible to enter through doors-PORTALS ON THE NORTH AND SOUTH TRANSEPTS
These portals become new places to add sculpture and over the century they become more and more decorated and elaborate creating deep porches rather than simple doorways
This change is visible when you compare the original/oldest door of Chartres- the West entrance and the later, more elaborate South and North portals—
and even more so when you look at the later cathedrals such as Amien or Reims
Gothic sculpture-increasing naturalism
-just as the doors/portals became more elaborate between the 11 and 13 centuries-
the sculptures that decorated the doors and almost every inch of the entire building also show a progression from the stiff and distorted –elongated- bodies seen in the Romanesque—
to an increasing NATURALISM- the people start to look like portraits and become more three dimensional till they seem ready to step off the building—but they are still part of the architecture.
Gothic cathedrals show all aspects of medieval life in the art but as the style progresses- sculptors introduce contemporary scenes-CRUSADERS- and contemporary clothing in scenes from scripture
Nature itself is included in designs-as something beautiful-on this earth
Note—
it Is in NORTHERN ERUOPE(not Italy) that REALISM –down to the last whisker on a chin- is first seen- in the south it will be IDEALISM(from their classical past)
there are similarities to Romanesque
Sculpture is still meant to INSTRUCT-didactic-body is still covered
A tympanum over each door-
still shows God in the center surrounded by angels and saints but God has become less a God of Judgement and more a loving Father-face is calm/kind
note in one tympanum- Mary
Chartres- W- royal portal- pillar people verticality take the eye up to the tympanum
Increasing calmness-
N- S portals- increasing naturalism- contemporary clothes- >portraiture
Guilds-
the cathedrals were products of towns- competitions between them
towns had also helped to create the growth and power of the guild system for freemen. They were highly skilled
necessary for the complex construction
Also because they brought together the intinerant skilled workmen to build the cathedrals there was an exchange of ideas
Guilds-Apprentice-journeymen- masters
So it was master masons, master carpenters - that built – and if the project ran out of money they left and went to the next job
What is a masterpiece?
The Windows-stained Glass
Chartres has 175 windows –almost all are original to 12 century. Chartres’ reds and blue has never been duplicated-
Stained glass colour is from different minerals- blown then rolled flat -very thick
Why did it become so important to gothic cathedrals??
It was symbolic-MYSTICAL
Glass:Abbot Suger- began it –the spiritual connection- of light