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Louis XIV
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College of Central Florida
The Sainte-Chapelle
Robin Shilstone
Introduction To Art History I, ARH2050 Section 1
Professor Will Adams
April 22, 2014
The Sainte Chapelle sparkles like a rare jewel that has magnificent architecture and decoration; the stain glass windows seem to be inside of a jewel case. The many jewels seem to change color every hour with the sunlight rays bouncing back and forth. “The founder, King Louis IX, the future St. Louis, who had it built to house the Holy Relics of the Passion, today dispersed” (Finance 1). The spire has statues of Christ’s apostles at the base of the spire and has angles decorated above the apostles. The Sainte Chapelle, the lower chapel was devoted to the Virgin Mary, and reserved for the administration staff. The upper chapel was reserved for the King and his family; the religious relics connected to Jesus Christ were kept in the upper chapel. In 1690, the flood damaged the lower chapel, and the fire in 1776 caused more damage, then the Revolution further damaged the Sainte Chapelle. The restoration started around 1840 and was completed in the middle of the nineteenth century to exhibit the original thirteen-century medieval architecture. King Louis IX founded the Sainte Chapelle along with the Spire to hold the religious relics connected to Jesus Christ, the lower chapel was for the palace staff, and the upper chapel was reserved for the king.
Furthermore, Louis IX was crowned King in 1226 at the age of twelve years old, and his mother ensured the kingdom until the year 1234, when he married. In 1239, Louis IX bought the Crown of Thorns from Constantinople that Jesus Christ wore at the Crusfixation. “Louis IX bought a fragment of the True Cross from Baudoin II as well...
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... medieval period, and the beauty and the architectural is still admired centuries later.
Cited Page:
Leniaud, Jean-Michel and Francoise Perrot. The Sainte Chapelle. Paris: Centre des monuments nationaux, 2007.
Finance, Laurence de. The Sainte-Chapelle. Paris: Centre des monuments nationaux, 2001.
Brew, Charl Anne. “The language Of Stained-Glass Windows.” Arts & Activities, Oct. 2010: 30. Academic OneFile.
Weisse, Daniel H. “Architectural symbolism and the decoration of the Ste.-Chapelle.” The Art Bulletin 77.2 (1995):308. Academic OneFile.
Papanicolaou, Linda Morey. “Stained Glass from the Cathedral of Tours: The Impact of the Sainte-Chapelle in the 1240’s.” Metropolitan Museum Journal, Vol. 15, (1980): pp. 53-66.
Cohen, Merdith. “An Indulgence for the Visitor: The Public at the Sainte-Chapelle of Paris.” Speculum, Vol. 83, No. 4 (Oct., 2008): pp. 840-883.
Thesis: Both St. John the Baptist Cathedral and Cathedral Basilica of Our Lady of Chartres are constructed in French Gothic style which means that architecturally they have many similarities. However, the 700 year gap between their construction offers St. John the Baptist more flexibility in design and style. Still, their likeness and variations extend far beyond the realm of their design.
We remember William of Normandy as a conquering hero. Truly one of the great warrior's of all time. But its is his patronage that still can be viewed in the twentieth century. The churches of St. Etienne and La Trinite as well as the tower of London, are medieval architectural models. All three buildings have a wealth of documentation surrounding them.
The Merode Altarpiece is a triptych painting that represents the Annunciation of the Virgin Mary. This work displays the main characteristics of the Northern Late Gothic period. There is so much detail in this work of art. Campin utilizes many symbols in this altarpiec. The setting of the painting is in a Flemish middle class house. The Annunciation theme is being depicted in the central panel. A scene of Saint Joseph at work as a carpenter occupies the right-hand panel. The portraits of the donors are depicted in the left hand panel. Campin failed to understand the scientific perspective. To illustrate, there is no focal point in the painting and the table looks tilted. Campin used no aerial perspective. To illustrate, the background is still very crisp when seen from a distance. The most important aspect of the painting is the symbolism. For example, the lilies represent Mary's purity, the candle represents the Holy Spirit, even the mouse traps represent trapping evil. Campin also made use of bright, rich colors. In the central panel, the drapery of the figures are filled with colors of red and white. Campin has also made a good use of illusion of the space by making the town seem to be far away by distance by making them appear blurry. Furthermore, Campin has created figures that are not in proper proportion. To illustrate, the figure’s head is small and the bodies are big and it seems that if they get will hit their head if they get up. They look very unrealistic. Although they are not in proportion, the figures seem to have very sharp edges. The figures also look very stiff and rigid. In Merode Altarpiece, the light is arbitrary and the figures do not cast any...
Maupassant, Guy De. “An Adventure in Paris”. The Norton Anthology of Short Fiction. Cassill, RV. New York: Norton & Company, Inc. 2000. 511-516 Print.
This cathedral was built during the Medieval Period for the worshipers of God. To this day pilgrims come to see the pure, Gothic cathedral. The massive cathedral seems to loom overhead as if a symbol of God watching over the worshippers that visit. The earlier church burned in 1194, it was rebuilt and has gained a much more appreciated and admirable character distinction, statuary, and stained glass. The distinct character of the thirteenth century was captured, through the “Age of Faith” period. The architecture is Gothic which was very popular in the 1200s. Gothic architects created a frame of support with columns and arches so that the walls no longer need to support the ceilings, but are freed up to hold windows. The Gothic structure allows for plenty of windows. Chartres has a significant collection of medieval stained glass, with over 150 early thirteenth century windows. The windows allowed sunlight to enter the dark, Gothic cathedral in order to highlight the story of Christ through the stained glass windows told throughout history to pilgrims alike. These windows create a spiritual and promising place for thought and prayer. Stained glass was used to help teach the stories of Christ to people that were illiterate during the medieval times. While most worshippers of that day were illiterate, comprehending the symbolism of the story of Christ in each of the windows was vital and gave meaning towards adversity during the medieval ages, as they struggled through their dark and dreary lives, which were filled with hopefulness, while viewing the story through the stained glass windows. The windows are also...
Lower, A.R.M. “New France in New England.” The New England Quarterly. no. 2 (1929): 278-295. Accessed 5 October 2013. http://www.jstor.org/stable/359305.
5. Howe, Helen, and Robert T. Howe. From the Ancient and Medieval Worlds. N.p.: Longman, 1992. Print.
As I walked into the first gallery, I saw a wood sculpture that stood in the center of the room. This carving depicted “the crucified Christ, flanked by the Virgin Mary and St. John the Evangelist with Angels holding instruments of the Passion”. It was painted oak and very appealing to the eye. It stood approximately 15 feet in the air. The origin of this sculpture is unknown, but it was found in a Belgium church. This kind of sculpture usually stood at the entrance or at the center of the alter in the church facing the congregation. This image of the suffering Christ relates to the Christian ideas of suffering and Christ’s salvation of all mankind.
To deal with France’s economic impending doom Louis XVI called all of the nobles and those with significant wealth together and requested to borrow money from them. Because there was no legal way for the l...
Saint-Sernin was built in honor of Saint Saturnin, the first bishop of Toulouse, after he was killed by pagan priests. According to online sources, Saint Saturnin was martyred in 250 C.E, his feet were tied t...
Built in 1889 to commemorate the hundred year anniversary of the French Revolution, the Eiffel Tower has been a topic of discussion for numerous years. Designed by Gustave Eiffel and Morris Koechlin, the Tower was built originally as a temporary structure. The pieces of this eye-catching building were to be disassembled and melted down after twenty years. This did not happen, however. The Eiffel Tower has become a colossal icon throughout the world; the Tower has brought in enormous revenue and has a scientific impact on French and all of Europe’s society.
St. Peters Basilica. (2009). Chapel of the Pieta. Retrieved April 15, 2011, from St. Peters
The architecture of cathedrals, basilicas and abbey churches is more than a structure at a particular address but actually serves as one transmitter of the Roman Catholic faith. The buildings are characterized by their large scale and follow several traditions, functions and styles that were all established in the Constantinian period. Within the Roman Catholic church, the concepts of place and time have significant roles in the construction and architecture of any catholic church. The buildings, the space, decoration and everything inside and outside a building has meaning; everything is intentionally set up. How and when things get done is determined by time which is composed by a set of calendars and specific hours.
When I was a child I used to be frightened of entering such a place for it seemed so imposing and somewhat dangerous, especially when music was being played. One day, in order to keep a promise I had made, I saw myself forced to enter. It took me quite a while to get the courage to pass through the old oak door, but the moment I stepped in, I realized just how enchanting and breathtaking this building could be. Its fantastic architecture and exquisite frescoes reflect perfectly the unity between this earth and the unseen kingdom of angels in such a manner that one cannot say where one ends and the other begins. The way in which the church was built is also the vivid testimony of a medieval period. Although it is a place that can sometimes be cold and ask for respect it is where prayers are answered and magic is done. An overwhelming feeling of inner harmony takes over you once you enter and God seems much closer. Darkness and light are welded perfectly together creating Redemption’s house. The tower allows you to see the entire town from the smallest river to the biggest building site, offering you its mightiness.