The Notre-Dame is a historic Catholic Cathedral. The first stone was laid in 1163 in the presence of Pope Alexander III. The cathedral is often considered to be one of the finest examples of French Gothic architecture although the naturalism of its sculptures, gargoyles, and stained glass are in contrast with earlier Romanesque architecture. Many small individually crafted statues were placed around the outside to serve as column supports and water spouts. Among these are the famous gargoyles, designed for water run-off, and chimeras. The statues were originally colored, as was most of the exterior. The paint has worn off, but the gray stone was once covered with vivid colors. The Notre-Dame was one of the first buildings ever to implicate the flying buttress along the choir and nave, they were not originally in the design but when construction began they were needed to stabilize the apse that was 110 feet tall from the floor to the crown of its sexpartite vaults. The apse was only interrupted by the transepts, which rise to underscore the buildings …show more content…
Christopher Wilson, author of The Gothic Cathedral, talks about the portals on the western façade and how they have archivolts over the doorways that are decorated in ornamental scenes depicting stories from the Old Testament. Above these portals are the Gallery of Kings sculptures that represent the twenty-eight kings of the Old Testament. Above the Kings is a radiant rose window, flanked by a pair of lancet windows creating a halo backdrop for the sculpture of the Virgin Mary and Child with two angels who are on axis with the Rue Nueve-Notre-Dame. From a distance the basically symmetrical composition of the Notre-Dame’s elevation is obvious, but with close examination the more details and slight irregularities in the individual elements become noticeable such as that the width of the towers are different
In conclusion, I admire the work ethic of the individuals who built this cathedral because it shows work ethic, precise with mathematics, and a strong religious faith. During this Gothic time frame in history majority of their art resembled images that the Holy Bible describes. Religion during this time period was represented very well even experts are still amazed as to how this cathedral were built so tall and high. Even though this cathedral has been exposed to stress, with the assistant with the flying buttress, ribbed ceiling, and metal this cathedral will be an ongoing restorative process so that it will be around for generation here to come to admire its beauty.
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.
I chose two cathedrals for my post, the Durham Cathedral and the Chartres Cathedral. The Durham Cathedral, my example of Romanesque architecture, was built from local sandstone in 1087-1133 CE (the east wing was replaced in 1242) and is currently located in Nothern England. The Gothic style structure, the Chartres Cathedral (also known as the Cathedral of Notre-Dame), was mostly constructed between 1194 and 1220 CE due to a fire causing it to be rebuilt. Assembled utilizing limestone, this colossal structure is currently located in France and is known for it’s strikingly beautiful stained-glass windows. These structures share a few similarities, like their ribbed groin vaults (the crossing segments on the ceiling of the hallways), the high-placed windows as well as their huge circular window that were added to provide light and a
The interior of the Pantheon is an open circular floor plan and, was painted blue and gold to resemble the vault of heaven (The Humanistic Tradition). The interior of the Pantheon was purposely meant to outshine the exterior. Unlike the Pantheons more interior design the Cathedral has a more exterior design. The interior of the Cathedral of Chartres has a network of open and closed spaces. The exterior of the Cathedral is lined with sculptures that are linked to the Old and New Testaments. Along with t...
After walking inside and trying to first experience, the church, and all its beauty and ornateness, I began examining the floor plan and elevations of the cathedral. Grace Cathedral was build in a gothic style, which it represents in its architecture inside and out. There were three huge rose windows. One at the very top of the main entrance and one on either end of the transept. There wer...
This work is typical for this era because the architectural style Gothic is known for its height being tall and made from stone and tall flying buttress...
The sacred space of the Cathedral of Chartres in France and the Parthenon will be discussed in comparison with each other.
Ziggy Marley once said, “God is like the sun. When the sun shines, it shines for everyone. God is for everyone.” In the same way, Abbot Suger built the Basilica of St. Denis so that sunlight would flood throughout the building and symbolize the power of God inviting visitors into the cathedral. The Basilica of St. Denis was an artistic response to the rise of the Catholic Church’s power for it was modeled to be a physical representation of heaven, which the church heavily preached upon. (Thesis) As the basilica represented the shift from Romanesque architecture to Gothic, Abbot Suger introduced new techniques that transformed cathedrals to look more spacious and “heavenly”. (Map Statement #1-Art History) By allowing sunlight to come through the large windows, Abbot Suger instilled the Neo-Platonic idea that the sun was the physical representation of God. (Map Statement #2 –Philosophy) Also, at that time, the church was rising in power, so the new structural style of the basilica brought more converts and eventually more power to the church. (Map Statement #3 –Social Institutions) [Insert Literature Map Statement] The Basilica of St. Denis was built so that worshippers would be in awe of the “heaven-like” setting, which would cause more people to declare their faith to God and to the church.
A cathedral, besides being a grand and aesthetically pleasing architectural work, carries a very meaningful and symbolic connotation to it that has been building up for thousands of years. It is a place where one can find truth and strive for eternal happiness. The cathedral symbolizes equality and answers to all that humans seek out to find in the non-material world. Because of this benevolent and mystical connotation, drawing a cathedral had a profound effect on the narrator in terms of his wisdom and spirituality.
A monumental staircase is the centerpiece of entrance hall and creates a barrier to a direct view of the courtyard. The stairway, although grandiose, is modeled after oversized wooden stairs with a “wealth of spindles and paneling from his earlier Shingle style houses.” The oversized arched windows on the wall facing Exeter Street, bring sunlight into this space, and have a radiant effect on the walls covered with variegated Sienna marble (especially quarried for the library). At the intermediate landing, there are two hand carved couchant lions, which are the work of Louis Saint-Gaudens. Above this stairway a spherical chandelier of bronze and cut glass hangs from the richly coffered ceiling. As you climb up the stairs towards the main landing, the paintings of Puvis De Chavannes representing poetry, philosophy, and science adorn the wall. These murals are painted
Weisse, Daniel H. “Architectural symbolism and the decoration of the Ste.-Chapelle.” The Art Bulletin 77.2 (1995):308. Academic OneFile. Web. 7 Apr. 2014.
The Papal Basilica of St Peter in the Vatican, or simply St Peter’s Basilica is one of the largest church’s in the world with a total area of 44000 square meter, with 219 square meter of the basilica itself. (Dupre’, J., 2001, p.65) Located in Vatican City, the papal enclave within Rome, St Peter’s Basilica is the most renowned work of Renaissance architecture. There were 4 main architects who contributed to the project Donato Bramante, Michelangelo, Carlo Maderno, and Gian Lorenzo Bernini. Construction began on the new basilica on 18 April 1506 under Julius II, who also laid the first stone and was completed on 1615 under Paul V.
Gothic architecture, though also used in secular buildings, is most associated with the great cathedrals of Europe. The Basilica of Saint Denis is a large medieval abbey church on the outskirts of Paris, France. The building is of significant importance historically and architecturally because it is considered to be the first Gothic church ever built. The building of gothic cathedrals grew as design techniques progressed. Over time, as new techniques combined with new materials, cathedral architecture increased in complexity and sophistication into a recognizable gothic style.
The windows were of stained glass showing bible stories and saints lives in them, And the design structure enabled cathedrals to rise higher than ever. It even became a contest for architects – who could build a cathedral as tall as possible. A cross shape was used for windows allowing crossbowmen to shoot attackers from the inside, and a cross plan was also used for the shape of a cathedral as seen from a bird’s eye view.
GENERAL GENEALOGY STUFF Genealogy served an important legal, cultural, historical and social function in medieval Europe. Genealogical narratives of history were an expression of social memory that developed in medieval period. As described by Gabrielle Spiegel, French chronicles used genealogical history in a series of biographies linked by hereditary succession to narrate a history based on generations, not a calendar or annalistic notion of time. The use of genealogies in historical narratives in France appeared at the same time as the noble families began to organize and envision themselves into ‘vertical structures’ based on a hereditary lineage.