This past week, we've focused heavily on the emergence of Paris as one of the most important cities in Europe during the 1100s and the 1200s. Among other things, we've looked at one defining feature of this political and cultural transformation: the Gothic tradition in French culture. Avery and Jackson presented an in-depth overview of Gothic Art. Jennifer, Reed, and Nahlah investigated a figure behind the transformations of this era, Abbot Suger. Caroline, Izzy, and Pryor explored Abbot Suger's residence St. Denis. And Connor, Lehn, and Jonathan focused on the political dynasty that made this phenomenon possible.
So we've worked hard to grasp this critical historical era from an academic perspective, but it's also important for us as historians to note our own personal responses to the buildings and artifacts of this era. In a thorough and thoughtful response of no fewer than 10 sentences, make an argument either a) celebrating, or b) critiquing the Gothic. In your response, please make sure to reference two of the first three images (all Gothic and all from Paris) and some of your notes from presentations. You will also find two examples (the last two images) of the previously dominant Romanesque style should you want to use them as some form of comparison in your argument.
Jennifer Rivas
ReplyDeleteIn most of the presentations, Gothic art and architecture seems to have changed French art and architecture for the better. Gothic architecture introduced new structures to build bigger and safer monuments. For example, in the third picture you can see the flying-buttresses serving as extra support for a big building, which is Notre Dame. The flying-buttresses provide a tall building with more stability. Pointed arches also emerged during the flourish of Gothic architecture. They also provided stability. Both structures or forms of building can be seen in the second to last image. Gothic art changed people's perspective of stained glass. Instead of seeing it as just a decoration, people noticed that it could be used to record important facts and events. Abbot Suger used stained glass to show traditions, events and saints mentioned in the Bible. One group mentioned that people referred to stained glass as "The Poor Man's Bible." It allowed those who couldn't read to become familiar with stories from the Bible. In the first image, the stained glass tells the story of an execution. During the height of Gothic art and architecture, the security of buildings was improved and art gained more significance.
I firmly believed that the Gothic Architecture in Paris is an iconic feature in the history of the city. One of Paris' most famous historical landmarks, the Notre Dame Cathedral, was reconstructed by the majestic ways of the gothic influence. The innovative idea of using stained glass in churches was a defining moment for the architects of the gothic movement, which is shown in the first photo. The stained glass served an even higher purpose than creating a beautiful display of art, many of those fixtures contained stories so that the illiterate citizens of Paris could understand them. So, gothic architecture provided much more than intriguing,abstract buildings, it connected the Parisian people. In the third photo, you can surely see that the complex form of the arches exemplify how creative and innovative the thinkers of that time were. The gothic "founding father" Abbot Suger reformed the Church of St. Denis to a state of newfound glory with the gothic vision in his mind. He brought many pilgrims to Christianity. Without the mesmerizing aspects of this era, Paris may not be such an influential city it is today. Gothic architecture is a staple of Paris which should be celebrated for all of its influences on the city's history.
ReplyDeleteGothic architecture was an engineering feat that enabled taller, and more complex building structures than the earlier Romanesque buildings. In picture number 3, we can see a picture of Nôtre Dame that utilizes the key components of gothic architecture; flying buttresses, pointed arches, ribbed vault, and window tracery. The combination of the architectural elements allowed Nôtre Dame to have a more light, and open feeling than the earlier Romanesque architecture. The design of windows and window tracery allowed for more natural light to come in and the pointed arch and ribbed vault opened up the space both inside and outside of gothic buildings. Furthermore, less structural support and stone masonry was needed for Nôtre Dame and gothic architecture in general.
ReplyDeleteIn the first figure, we see the intricate attention to detail in Gothic Art through the stained glass window in Saint-Germain-des-Prés. The use of stained glass windows in Gothic art and architecture allowed for natural, beautiful lighting. The window shows a scene of Saint Vincent’s confrontation with the Roman pronscul Dacian, and reveals the intense focus on religious themes in gothic art. The stained glass windows give a transcendental experience in gothic buildings of leaving the terrestrial world for a heavenly realm. The art of the gothic period gave Gothic architecture a unique, and innovative style that was both practicable and aesthetically pleasing.
In my personal opinion there are many pros and cons to the development of Gothic architecture in Paris. While there is plenty to say about both sides of the spectrum, overall I would say Gothic architecture was beneficial to the city. The transition from Romanesque to Gothic provided a new sense of beauty to crowded, dirty Paris. Ultimately invented by Abbot Suger, the four central characteristics of this new architecture (pointed arch, ribbed vault, flying buttress, and window tracery) provide a new sense of meaning to structures, never seen before. For an example, take a look at picture three and picture four. Compared to the Romanesque church, the Notre Dame has a more modern (for that era) color scheme, texture, and design. While the Romanesque church is magnificent, the Notre Dame takes the viewers breath away, the building being unique to Paris alone. Compared to the new masterpiece that is the Notre Dame, the romanesque church is just plain.
ReplyDeleteWhile in general I believe Gothic architecture greatly helped Paris during this time, I feel things could have also been done a little differently. For an example, Gothic architecture was created for religion (as shown in image one). While I do believe this was an important aspect for the era, I think it would have been effective for people to have developed this architecture in more than just religious structures. Making the less "sacred" areas of Paris more presentable (residential areas) could have definitely helped the city's prosperity during this particular era.
The Gothic tradition positively influenced French society. The arches, flying buttresses, and stonework present in Gothic buildings gave them an advantage by making them higher and more structurally sound than the previously popular Romanesque buildings. In the images above, Notre Dame, a classic example of a Gothic building, stands taller and more magnificent than the following example of a Romanesque church. And Gothic art resulted in artists focusing more on details, exploring perspective, and making their paintings and sculptures more realistic, which advanced the quality of the art produced. In the first sculpture shown above, the details of the crown and the individual hairs drawn into the beard create a more realistic and carefully crafted sculpture. Gothic art also brought with it the trend of displaying images depicting scripture on stained glass in Gothic churches, as shown in the first picture. These images of scripture served as the “poor man’s bible”. The poor, mostly illiterate, had not previously been able to access scripture, and these illustrations connected them to scripture and could have helped connect the upper and lower classes. The attention to detail and complexity in Gothic architecture and art not only advanced buildings and artistic expression, but also no doubt resulted in more jobs for merchants, artisans, and craftspeople during creation. In general, the Gothic tradition played an important role in French history.
ReplyDeleteGothic art and architecture are an important part of French history, symbolic of an era when French leaders were looking for a way to divert attention from the problems occurring in their country. Gothic art pieces such as the Head of King David, with its attention to detail, glorified the exploits of kings long past, reminding people of the power of kings. The religious focus in stained glass pieces allowed the serfs and other lower class members of medieval society to feel a connection with God and the stories of the bible without having to be literate,
ReplyDeleteGothic architecture was another effort to distract the people. Buildings such as the Notre Dame projected an air of opulence and security. The extreme attention to detail and artistic decorations that adorned the buildings had a sense of wealth and power, designed to reassure the general populace despite the near-constant conflicts France found itself embroiled in. That being said, Gothic architecture did provide some practical improvements to building design. Ribbed vaults, pointed arches, and flying buttresses allowed architects to build higher and with more stability than buildings of the Romanesque style. The improved use of lighting was also an important part of Gothic architecture, as it reduced the general gloominess of dark, dank, Romanesque castles and cathedrals.
In France, as religion and warship grew in popularity Gothic architecture and art followed to make religion possible for more people and to make it more meaningful to others. One of the main goals of Gothic architecture was to make religion more accessible to more people. By using stained glass windows, like the one in the first picture, gothic architecture provided an opportunity to learn the stories of the bible to illiterate people who otherwise would not be able to read the stories. I think that it was a good thing to provide these stories because in a time where illiteracy rates were high, it could be very helpful for some people to make their own interpretations of the bible without having to have the messages translated through a priest. I believe that it was a good thing that gothic architecture, through stained glass windows, helped to spread religion to illiterate people.
ReplyDeleteAlong with spreading religion, I think that in a way gothic architecture also succeeded in making churches more lavish and extravagant. While I don’t necessarily condone using excessive amounts of money for religious practices, I do think that Gothic architecture succeeded in beatifying churches and bringing people “closer to the heavens”. With the invention of the flying buttress, a common architectural method used in Gothic architecture, churches could be built taller and could bring people “closer to heaven” without the risk of collapse. I think that for religious people this was a helpful way to tie them to god. Ultimately, while I think the architecture looks quite nice and I appreciate the use of stained glass to share religion, I am not as easily persuaded by the use of details and size to make churches more lavish and ultimately more expensive.
Reed Haury
ReplyDeleteGothic Art and Architecture provides an intricacy and detail not found in the styles leading up to its emergence. It is important from an engineering standpoint to design stable buildings that can last a long time, as is the case with Romanesque architecture, but Gothicism provides a meaning to the structure that was lacking. In the third image there is a shot of the backside of the Notre Dame, an impressive structure built in the Gothic style. Compare this ornately designed building with its buttresses and flying buttresses, spires, pointed arches and large, stained glass windows with image number four of a large, but nevertheless plain looking Romanesque building. Not only does the building lack the listed characteristics of the Notre Dame, but it also lacks the feeling of character and individuality. This structure could be any church anywhere in Europe, while the Notre Dame and other Gothic Churches and buildings have their own individuality to them.
A special difference that I would like to touch back on between the Gothic and Romanesque styles is the use of Stained Glass windows as an art form and teaching tool. The majority of Europeans during the height of the period of Gothicism was illiterate and lacked the ability to read the Bible. Because stained glass is very often created with scenes of biblical and historical origin, these individuals were able to come to the churches and learn biblical history through the glass. Stained glass not only serves as an ornate and beautiful aspect of Gothicism but also served a purpose for helping those unable to read the bible, to better understand it nevertheless.
France and French culture went through a major change from the 12th century- the 16th century. First we see the architectural change through the picture of the Notre Dame. In comparison to the above pictured Romanesque buildings, we can view the complete change of style. In the Notre Dame we see many flying buttresses, pointed arches, and several other cultural and architectural advancements. We see that the style changed from flat and basic architecture, to wildly intricate and complex forms of architecture.
ReplyDeleteThis was a period of great influence of the church and culture and art flowed directly through religion.
Next we see the change of French culture in art. This revolution of gothic art enabled Paris to become the cultural capital of Europe. One major staple of gothic art was stained glass. Stained glass allowed for the illiterate to follow along in church by viewing the scenes pictured in the stained glass
Gothic architecture and art launched Paris into the phase of being the cultural and religious center of Europe.
Gothic architecture, started in the abbey of St-Denis by Abbott Suger, inarguably had transformative effects on the evolution of France. The stark contrast between an image of a Romanesque church and the Gothic Notre Dame cathedral shows just how dramatic a reach this shift had in a relatively short amount of time. Widespread reconstruction of churches and cathedrals in the gothic style created a new sense of unity and emotional connection among citizens through public space. Combining functionality with beauty, gothic architecture placed emphasis on making places of worship awe-inspiring. Systematic and symmetrical embellishments and decorations added a sense of extravagance to the church, highlighting its importance in the lives of French citizens during the time period. In fact, religion was at the heart of most of the movement. Flying buttresses and arches added height, symbolizing a reach towards the heavens. Windows allowed not only light but also narratives to illuminate the insides; stained glass designs told stories in the universal language of art, becoming "liturgical vessels" for the common man. A push towards realism and a mix of biblical and secular brought a previously unattainable intimacy with god upon the Parisians.
ReplyDeleteThe way the buildings were built mirrored the society that built them. Consumed with getting closer to god, the people demanded things of the architecture, and in return the architecture demanded things of the people. In this way, gothic tradition helped shape a French identity with religion and sacred spaces at the forefront of the culture.
In my opinion, Gothic architecture provided a needed identity for the up-and-coming French Empire. It provided a fresh look to the buildings of France–and I prefer the colors of Gothic architecture as opposed to the gloominess of the Romanesque architecture. The colors can be seen clearly in the first picture–the stained glass window. The blues, reds, yellows, and greens were unprecedented for that time, and they add life to the French culture. Also, the stain glass windows aren’t just a glob of colors¬–they tell biblical stories in a comic book fashion. And while the windows were colorful, they also filled the inside of the buildings with light. Before, small windows were common and rooms were very dark. Without the stain glass windows, many of the churches and buildings of the Gothic period would be lifeless.
ReplyDeleteIn terms of architecture, I think bigger is usually better. In the Gothic period, due to advancements in engineering, buildings could be made taller than ever before. Flying buttresses replaced other techniques to support large structures, mainly vaults, and this led to ability to build taller and larger buildings. They directed the majority of the force to the ground, instead of horizontally. In third image, the flying buttresses are very visible. While not quite aesthetically pleasing in that building, they allow it to be the size it is.