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The comparison of gothic and gothic revival architecture
gothic architecture tierceron
gothic architecture tierceron
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Gothic Europe offers much to the one who studies art, as the architecture, sculptures and statues from this period are entirely unique to their era. I did not have any previous thoughts concerning the Gothic period of art due to either books I had read previously on the subject, or architecture documentaries my parents checked out from the library. (Being home schooled has its definite benefits.) I learned that Gothic art was another “transition” time period in the broad spectrum of art history. Many people think of the time of Gothic art as a time of christian art with what was (then) a modern development. People were moving out of the dark ages, and authorities thought Gothic art was not an improvement (compared to the art of the era before it). It is interesting that the “father of art history”, Giorgio Vasari (1511-1574) used the term Gothic to scorn the art of this time period, as the Goths were barbaric and angry, rowdy people. He called the art from this era Gothic because he thought there was a decline in the quality of the art. It made perfect sense that he called this art Gothic, for the Goths destroyed both Rome and the period of classical art. (Gardner, 461) Key aspects of Gothic architecture include long, impressive and massive naves, and beautiful, gigantic windows of stained glass. Ceiling barrel vaults were also very common, and many architects had a great interest in the intricate decoration of the intertwining designs on ceilings of cathedrals and churches. Perhaps this was to better the acoustics during services, just as Orchestra Hall (in Minneapolis) has cubes on the ceiling and behind the orchestra in order to carry and bounce the music throughout the entire building. The exterior of m... ... middle of paper ... ...ecause it was thought of as a declining period in art. However, Gothic art was a transition period from Medieval, Byzantine and Romanesque. Just as when a butterfly in its chrysalis is not always thought of as comely, so was this era. In the end, the butterfly has always broken out of its chrysalis and flourished. Gothic art had something in common with the butterfly; it had its time of change, and then it flourished. People were exploring new techniques and creating new forms, styles and methods. Just because a form is in a phase of change does not mean people should completely disregard it. Works Cited Kleiner, Fred. Gardner's Art through the Ages Wadsworth: Cengage Learning, 2009 Works Cited Kleiner, Fred. Gardner's Art through the Ages Wadsworth: Cengage Learning, 2009
Gothic Literature was a natural progression from romanticism, which had existed in the 18th Century. Initially, such a ‘unique’ style of literature was met with a somewhat mixed response; although it was greeted with enthusiasm from members of the public, literary critics were much more dubious and sceptical.
The Gothic name developed because the novel's setting had been usually in Gothic architecture such as castles. In Dracula when Jonathan arrives to the ruined castle of Count Dracula, Jonathan describes the castle. It had detailed carving that “had been much worn by time and weather” (Stoker 16). These descriptions help the reader picture something old and mysterious. Castles often hold a lot of history which help give that eerie tone that no one knows what
The term “gothic” comes from the name of the Germanic tribes “the Goths”, who were seen as barbarians, uncivilized, savage human beings. Later, the term was used to describe an architectural style that appeared in the Twelfth Century in Western Europe , and also to illustrate a new type of novel issued in Romanticism, in the second part of the Eighteenth Century.
...just the physical features. This is the same way Gothic Architecture was design to overwhelm and make feel the individual inferior to the institution behind the building. Consequently, the conceptual aspect of the building came as a secondary element in the design of the building. Such as the experience and feeling of the people coming to this building and being inside. The same way Gothic Architecture did it.
Despite the differences, Gothic and Romanesque churches shared some common features. First off, basilica churches were present in both eras. Basilicas are churches in the shape of a line, although some are crossed. All kinds of churches had a narthex, or a lobby. All churches also had a high place for the priest to stand while giving sermons, as the priest was viewed as an otherworldly being while speaking the word of God. After the sermon, the priest would often go down to the narthex to talk with the people to prove that he was still a human being.
To understand the emergence of Gothicism, we must delve back several hundred years to the fall of Rome. In 410 A.D., a Germanic tribe of barbarians known as the Goths sacked Rome, which subsequently led to the collapse of the Roman Empire.
The term “Gothic” was coined by Italian Renaissance writers who blamed what they considered to be the non-classical ugliness of the art and architecture of the time, to the northern tribes of Germanic barbarians known as Goths. Baron Wolfgang van Schreck’s ancestors had invaded the Roman Empire and destroyed what was considered to be the “true” art of the time; walls that were much too high and thick, arches that were too steeply pointed. The Gothic school of architecture, which included flying buttresses, rib vaulting, pointed arches and the presence of gargoyles on the inside and outside of the building. At the end of the 18th century the term Gothic switched meanings, from “medieval” to “macabre”, through the intervention of a man named Horace Walpole (1717-1797). He was the son of the famous politician Sir Robert Walpole, Horace was a well-known writer and dilettante who gradually transformed his villa, Strawberry Hill, into the most famous Gothic building of age. With this the now cliché image of a Gothic castle is now an accurate representation of the non-classical ugliness of the time period itself.
Germanà, Monica Gothic Studies Vol. 13 Issue 2, p98-115, Manchester: Manchester University Press 2012. Academic Journal
Gothic literature was developed during the eighteenth and nineteenth century of the Gothic era when war and controversy was too common. It received its name after the Gothic architecture that was becoming a popular trend in the construction of buildings. As the buildings of daunting castles and labyrinths began, so did the beginning foundation of Gothic literature. The construction of these buildings will later become an obsession with Gothic authors. For about 300 years before the Renaissance period, the construction of these castles and labyrinths continued, not only in England, but also in Gothic stories (Landau 2014). Many wars and controversies, such as the Industrial Revolution and Revolutionary War, were happening at this time, causing the Gothic literature to thrive (“Gothic Literature” 2011). People were looking for an escape from the real world and the thrill that Gothic literature offered was exactly what they needed. Gothic literature focuses on the horrors and the dark sides to the human brain, such as in Mary Shelley’s book Frankenstein. Gothic literature today, as well as in the past, has been able to separate itself apart from other types of literature with its unique literary devices used to create fear and terror within the reader.
In the sixteenth century, Gothic Architecture began to decline but, with the increased interest in Middle Age church architecture in the eighteenth century, Gothic Revival Architecture was created. Gothic Revival Architecture is made up of many Gothic elements. Gothic elements are seen art pieces and literature, but are mostly seen in architecture. Gothic revival architecture was actually created due to people wanting to revive old gothic elements from the twelfth century. These elements can be seen through stained glass windows, arched roofs, buttresses, and high columns. FINISH CONCLUSION PARAGRAPH
The church in the Middle Ages was a place that all people, regardless of class, could belong to. As a source of unity, its influence on art and architecture was great during this time. As society drew away from the feudal system of the Romanesque period, a new spirit of human individualism began to take hold; alas, the birth of Gothic. Here, the Church became a place where humanity became more acceptable, alas becoming the ideal place to visual such new ideals. The beauty and elegance of Gothic architecture is depicted most in the great cathedrals of the 12th, 13th and 14th centuries—St. Denis, Notre Dame, Chartres, Salisbury, Durham, Amiens, and more. The experience of looking at one of the great gothic cathedrals is to look up towards God. Indeed, most Gothic structures emphasize the vertical, drawing one’s eyes upwards toward the heavens with the awesomeness of God. These cathedrals were built with towering spires, pointed arches and flying buttresses giving impressions of harmony and luminosity. One of the major accomplishments of the 12th and 13th centuries was to develop the engineering mastery of the ribbed vault, pointed arch and flying buttress to create a great cathedral that is at once taller, lighter, wider, and more elegant than the ones before. Even though the pointed arch could support more weight than its predecessors, there was still the problem of finding a way to support the heavy masonry ceiling vaults over wide spans. In order to support the outward thrust of barrel vaults, vertical support walls have to be very thick and heavy. What makes possible the extensive use of ribbed vaulting and pointed arches to “open” and “lighten” the walls and space of the cathedral is the flying buttress—“an arched bridge above the aisle roof that extends from the upper nave wall, where the lateral thrust of the main vault is greatest, down to a solid pier.”
The Gothic style evolved from that of Romanesque, building on concepts and ideas that led to the creation of larger and grander structures. Today, mankind looks in awe at the structures that were built hundreds of years ago without the assistance of modern technology and equipment. These architectural styles are indisputably different, but equally profound. They made use of differing techniques to become tangible structures that can still be seen
The Romanesque architecture style, which occurred during the late 11th century to the middle 12th century, literally means “roman-like” architecture. The Romans, who were inspired by the Etruscans, used barreled and groined vaulting. Romanesque architects later adapted the use of rounded arches, giving the style its name. The Romanesque style, being inspired by the Roman architecture, used the plan of the basilica style. Romanesque cathedrals were not originally designed for aesthetic purposes. Romanesque style replaced flat wood ceilings with stone vaulting. It was one of the first styles to use mainly all stone, but the walls of the Romanesque cathedrals were built very thickly. They were almost like a fortress. Romanesque cathedrals had few windows as a result of their thick walls so the churches were very dark. In a sense, this echoed the life that was outside of these sanctuaries’ walls during the Middle Ages.
The term ‘Gothic’ conjures a range of possible meanings, definitions and associations. It explicitly denotes certain historical and cultural phenomena. Gothicism was part of the Romantic Movement that started in the eighteenth century and lasted about three decades into the nineteenth century. For this essay, the definition of Gothic that is applicable is: An 18th century literary style characterized by gloom and the supernatural. In the Gothic novel Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, a wide range of issues are explored. Frankenstein represents an entirely new vision of the female Gothic, along with many other traditional themes such as religion, science, colonialism and myth.
Another difference separating the two were that Romanesque style buildings had limited light whereas Gothic cathedrals were flooded with natural light. The architectural reason for this was due to the walls being made primarily out of stained glass. This was now achievable with the Gothic design because of the flying buttresses that supported the walls from the outside of the building. Thus making the three most defining characteristics of the Gothic style, that differ it from Romanesque to be the ribbed vault, the flying buttress and the pointed arch.