Gothic Art - Aristoi Classical Academy

Gothic Art
12th-15th centuries
Gothic – of or relating to an architectural style prevalent in
western Europe from the 12th through the 15th century and
characterized by pointed arches, rib vaulting, and a developing
emphasis on vertically and the impression of height
Key Vocabulary
1. cathedral – a large, important church.
3. buttress – a structure, usually brick or stone, built
against a wall for support or reinforcement.
4. architecture – a style and method of design and
construction
5. exoskeleton – a hard outer structure that provides
protection or support
6. interior – inside; inner.
7. exterior – outer; external
8. façade – the face of a building, especially the
principal front that looks onto a street or open space.
9. illumination- glows or puts off light
10. stained glass - glass that is colored by mixing
pigments inherently in the glass, fusing colored metallic
oxides onto the glass, or painting and baking
transparent colors on the glass surface
GOTHIC STYLE
The Gothic style was marked by a variety of characteristics. These
included:
Cathedrals, grand, tall designs, which swept upwards with height and
grandeur
Bright colors were used regularly in stained glass, sculptures, and
paintings.
Figures portrayed in artworks appeared much more natural than in the
earlier Romanesque style. Gone is the idea of portraying man (and
woman) in perfect form.
Warmth and emotion “oozed” from most art pieces.
Flying buttresses, pointed arches, stained glass windows and illuminated
manuscripts were the important creations of the day.
Gothic Art focused mostly on religious subjects such as:
sin- the breaking of God's law.
clergy- the body of all people ordained for religious duties, especially in the Christian
Church.
monks/nuns- Monks and nuns inhabit the lowest rung of the hierarchy in the Catholic
Church.
Monks are men who dedicate their lives to God often living either
alone or with any number of other monks.
Nuns are members of a religious community of women, typically living
under vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience. She may be a woman who
decided to dedicate her life to serving all other living beings, or to be an ascetic
who voluntarily chooses to leave mainstream society and live her life in prayer
and contemplation in a monastery or convent.
Some Gothic Art even focused on the bubonic plague- an infection that enters through
the skin and travels through the lymphatics, as is often seen in flea-borne infections
carried by small rodents. Without treatment, the plague kills about two thirds of infected
humans within 4 days.
.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lSAEeu4hr0c
Gothic Architecture
The Gothic style was one rooted in
architecture and any other forms of art were
basically created to help adorn the house of the
Lord. Gothic churches were very "bright". The
belief in divine light and the powers it contained
had a great deal to do with how Gothic cathedrals
were built.
Gothic architects solved the problem of
very little light coming through the windows by
creating a new style of building. Instead of having
large walls with large interior support the Gothic
churches were made with "exoskeletons". The
church itself was like a skeleton with the walls
and windows hanging as skin, off of this skeleton.
This allowed the weight of the
construction to be transferred from the interior to
the exterior by way of what is known
as the "flying buttress" system - massive piers
or arches on the outside of the church (excellent
examples of these buttresses can be seen on the Notre Dame Cathedral in
Paris, France). With the heavy walls no longer needed, walls were opened up
for large, light colored stained glass windows. The sun could finally shine in.
Spires- are found on
gothic churches. The spires
make the cathedrals easily
recognized at a distance.
Because of the way they stretch
high into the sky. Some say
that's how they “advertised its
connection to heaven”.
Chartres Cathedral is located in of Chartres, France. Not
only is Chartres Cathedral one of the finest examples of the
French High Gothic style, it is almost perfectly preserved.
Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore
started being built in 1296 in
the Gothic style and was completed in 1436.
This cathedral is
Florence’s most beautiful
cathedral and
symbol of
the city.
(English: “Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Flower” )
Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore
Notre Dame de Paris is a beautiful Catholic cathedral in
Paris. Begun in 1163, it was essentially
complete by around 1345.
One of the most famous
French Gothic cathedrals,
the Notre Dame is a great
example of French Gothic
architecture, sculpture and
stained glass.
Notre Dame de Paris
Illuminated
Manuscripts:
The Book of Kells
An illuminated manuscript is
a manuscript in which the text is
supplemented with such decoration
as initials, borders and miniature
illustrations. They often have gold or
silver accents.
The Book of Kells is an
example of an illuminated
manuscript. It is a stunningly
beautiful manuscript containing the
Four Gospels. It is Ireland's most
precious medieval artifact, and is
generally considered the finest
surviving illuminated manuscript to
have been produced in medieval
Europe.
The Book of Kells contains portraits of all the Evangelists as well as of Christ. This portrait of John has a notably intricate border.
Origins and History
The Book of Kells was probably produced in a monastery on the Isle of Iona, Scotland, to
honor Saint Columba in the early 8th century. After a Viking raid the book was moved to Kells,
Ireland, sometime in the 9th century.
It was stolen in the 11th century, at which time its cover was torn off and it was thrown
into a ditch. The cover, which most likely included gold and gems, has never been found, and the
book suffered some water damage; but otherwise it is extraordinarily well-preserved.
In 1541, at the height of the English Reformation, the book was taken by the Roman
Catholic Church for safekeeping. It was returned to Ireland in the 17th century, and Archbishop
James Ussher gave it to Trinity College, Dublin, where it resides today.
Canon Tables were devised by Eusebius to indicate which passages are
shared in multiple Gospels. The Canon Table below appears on Folio 5
of the Book of Kells.
Construction
The Book of Kells was written
on vellum (calfskin), which was
time-consuming to prepare properly
but made for an excellent, smooth
writing surface. 680 individual
pages (340 folios) have survived,
and of them only two lack any form
of artistic ornamentation. In addition
to incidental character illuminations,
there are entire pages that are
primarily decoration, including
portrait pages, "carpet" pages and
partially decorated pages with only
a line or so of text.
As many as ten different colors
were used in the illuminations,
some of them rare and expensive
dyes that had to be imported from
the continent. The workmanship is
so fine that some of the details can
only be clearly seen with a
magnifying glass.
http://digitalcollections.tcd.ie/home/index.php?DRIS_ID=MS58_003v
Contents
After some prefaces and canon tables,
the main thrust of the book is the Four
Gospels. Each one is preceded by a
carpet page featuring the author of the
Gospel: Matthew, Mark, Luke or John.
These authors acquired symbols in the
early medieval era.
Matthew's symbol was an angel, or
winged man, because his Gospel begins
with the human genealogy of Jesus.
Mark's symbol is a lion because his
Gospel begins with John the Baptist,
whose preaching is described as a voice
crying in the wilderness like the roar of a
lion.
Luke's Gospel begins with the story of
Zacharias making sacrifices in the
temple, and since oxen and calves were
often used for sacrifices, Luke's symbol is
an ox or a calf.
John's symbol is an eagle because
his Gospel begins with Jesus existing in
heaven as "the Word of God" before he
came to earth.
All of these symbols are described in a vision of Ezekiel
This image of the Madonna and Child
surrounded by angels appears on Folio
7 of the Book of Kells. It is the earliest
known depiction of the Madonna and
Child in western European art.
Create your own
Illuminated
Manuscript
Write your first initial very large on a
sheet of paper and decorate it in a
Gothic style using Gothic figures
and designs. Use colored pencils to
color it in.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1aDHJu9J10o
Gothic stained glass
Imagine standing in a medieval church. As your eyes adjust to the darkness, you notice colored light
streaming down from above. Some of the most powerful art produced in the High Middle Ages were stained-glass
cycles, or visual stories, in French cathedrals. Among the most famous of these is in Reims Cathedral, from which
this arresting lunette (a half moon–shape) originally came. The seraph, one of the six-winged angels that were
thought to stand in the presence of God, is frighteningly formal, with thick strokes of black vitreous paint used to
render its commanding eyes and facial features. Vitreous paint is paint that contains tiny glass particles mixed in a
liquid.
This panel (left), comes from the important medieval Abbey of
Klosterneuberg outside Vienna and shows the great achievements of
medieval stained glass. The painting demonstrates how pure, supple lines
communicate tenderness and delicacy, even when viewed from a
distance, as was often the case with medieval church glass. Simple fields
of color (including the silver stain used in the yellow halos) complete the
radiant effect.
This window was originally meant to go up high, in the windows of a
cloister, and even though the piece itself is rather small, the tremendous
clarity of the line-work that makes it quite legible from a distance. The
beautiful curls of the hair, the facial features, are all painted in a black line
of vitreous paint by an individual who expresses himself just as surely in
this art form as a painter of oil or tempera would express him or her self in
a panel painting or a fresco painting. The paint, which is applied to the
glass surface, adds detail and a sense of three-dimensionality to the
image. Another unique aspect of stained glass is that it's enhanced by
daylight, which changes with the weather, the season, and the time of day.
When a glass panel is shot through with a strong ray of light, you can see
the colors floating off the top of the panel, and this is what makes it such a
moving, and almost mystical, art form.
The Virgin and Child, Master of Klosterneuberg, Austrian, active about 1335, pot-metal and clear glass, black vitreous paint, and silver stain
The Virgin and Saint John, from a Crucifixion, German, c. 1420, Dark brown vitreous paint, colored pot metal and clear glass, silver stain,
H: 58.5 x W: 50 x D: 1 cm (23 1/16 x 19 11/16 x 3/8 in.)
During the Gothic period and the Renaissance (1100s–1500s) stained glass was one of the
foremost techniques of painting practiced in Europe. It may seem surprising to call stained glass a
form of painting, but in fact it is. Look closely at the image here and note that the surfaces of each
piece of glass are painted in a wide range of dark tones. One of the most widespread forms of
painting, stained glass inspired the lives of the faithful through religious narratives in churches and
cloisters, celebrated family and political ties in city halls, and even decorated the windows of private
houses.
Seraph, unknown French glass painter, working at Reims Cathedral, c. 1275–99 pot-metal and clear glass and black vitreous paint
Why is it called stained glass?
The term stained glass derives from the silver stain that was often applied to the side of
the window that would face the outside of the building. When the glass was fired, the silver stain
turned a yellow color that could range from lemon to gold. Stained glass was usually used to make
windows, so that the light would shine through the painting. It is a form of painting that began over
1,000 years ago and is still essentially made the same way today.
The delicate modeling of
the face and hand was done by
applying vitreous paint to clear glass
and then stabbing it with a broad
brush to create points of light. It was
then contoured with a pointed brush,
creating expressive, almost
calligraphic line work, as seen in the
tousled hair and distraught facial
features of Saint John. Originally,
this would have been part of a larger
Crucifixion scene.
We take windows for
granted. But there was a time when
glass panes were too expensive for
most people, only in the late 1400s,
did glass panels become wider
spread, so that middle class and
wealthy people could have them in
their homes—and they started
setting into their clear glass windows,
smaller panels that would be
amusing or instructive or celebrate
their family histories.
The emotion-filled panel below eloquently demonstrates the
essential means of expression of medieval glass painters.
Saint John (from a Crucifixion), possibly South German,
c. 1420
Design your own stained glass
window.
Take a piece of tracing paper and create
your own design. Make sure to use colored
pencils. Take a piece of black construction
paper, and carefully cut out sections to allow
your desighn to peek through, glue your
tracing paper to the back of the black paper.
When you are done, it should look like a
stained glass window.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EGAumT8aNkk
Gargoyles and
Grotesques
Gargoyles came into gothic architecture in the
early 13th century and are defined as "a waterspout,
projecting from an upper part of a building or a roof
gutter to throw water clear of walls or foundations."
In Architectural terms, only the creature serving as
actual water spout is called a Gargoyle, otherwise it is
known as a Grotesque. A grotesque may function
solely as decoration.
Gargoyles were usually carved in the form of a grotesque face, figure or frightening
creature projecting from a roof gutter. Gargoyles were painted and some were even
gilded. The earliest Gargoyles were made of wood or even terracotta. Later gargoyles,
especially in churches, were predominantly limestone and marble, although metals such
as lead were also used in fashioning some gargoyles. Stone gargoyles were carved on
the ground and then put into place when the building was almost at the point of
completion.
Gargoyles might depict any
number of grotesque images
including: Ugly human faces,
Animals, Mythical creatures,
Imaginary Creatures, and
Chimeras (combinations of several animals)
The purpose of Gargoyles
The first is a practical purpose - gargoyles
provided a method of drainage which protected the
stones and the mortar of churches, cathedrals and
castles from erosion. The number of Gargoyles added
to buildings were numerous because dividing the flow
of water minimized potential water damage.
The second purpose of gargoyles was as
'guardians' of the buildings in the form of abstract
symbols designed to represent, and to ward off evil.
Stone Gargoyles in Medieval Architecture Gargoyles are a fascinating
element of Medieval Architecture. These frightening, grotesque sculptures are most often
associated with Medieval Churches and Cathedrals but they were also used to great effect in
English Gothic castles. Gargoyles are frightening and intimidating sculptures - perfect for the likes
of great lords who built elaborate fortresses and castles in order to crush and intimidate the
indigenous population. However, while gargoyles were included in the construction of many
medieval buildings, they seem to be most prevalent on churches.
What Gargoyles represent Gargoyles all have a common theme, they are carved
with big wide-open mouths. While this was a practical, functional, and a necessary requirement of
gargoyles, creatures and images with mouths wide open are symbolic of devouring giants. Let’s be
honest, how could Medieval stone masons make anything look beautiful when it has to be
displayed with a big wide-open mouth!
Gargoyles History
Gargoyle History dates back to antiquity. Gargoyles can be found in
Ancient Egyptian, Ancient Roman and Ancient Greek architecture although they are most
commonly associated with Medieval Gothic architecture. Ancient history, myths, legends and pagan
religions abound with stories of frightening and fantastic creatures. Creatures that fired the
imagination. Creatures you would only ever meet in your worst nightmares. Perhaps the Medieval
church wanted to convey a terrifying impression of hell and enforce that there was safety and
sanctity inside the church. The devil would be a most inappropriate, and totally unorthodox, image
to allow on a church - fantastic gargoyles, would, however have a similar, terrifying psychological
effect. Stone masons had free choice what their gargoyles should depict or look like. It is an
interesting fact that there are no two gargoyles which are exactly the same!
Design your own Grotesque
Think about the difference
between a gargoyle and a
grotesque. Using air-dry clay,
create your own grotesque in a
Gothic style.