Gothic Art

1. Gothic Art and Architecture
Art Appreciation I

2. Gothic Art and Architecture
•Mid-12
th
into the 15
th
Century CE
•Dominant style in Europe for 400 years
•Art and Architecture that expressed the political and religious values of
Christians
•Term Gothic comes from the “Goths” – a group of Germanic invaders who
helped destroy the Roman Empire
•Style began in France, but spread throughout Europe

3. Mid-12th Century in Europe
• Advances in Building Technology
• Access to More Materials and Resources
• New Intellectual and Spiritual Aspirations

4. Abbey Church of Saint-Denis

5. Abbey Church of Saint-Denis
First Gothic Style building
Church built on site of a monastery
founded in 5th Century - built over
tomb of St. Denis (early Christian
martyr sent from Rome)
Built for crowds of pilgrims
(pilgrimage church) - church contains
relics of St. Denis
Stained Glass Windows to let in “the
light of God”
Royal significance - church houses
all tombs of French Kings
Architect - Abbot Suger, Abbey Church
of Saint-Denis, 1130 - 1144 CE

6. Ambulatory and Chapels

7. Rose Window

8. Tomb of Marie-Antoinette

9. Notre Dame Paris

Cathedral of Notre Dame (Paris), Gothic
Architecture

10. Notre Dame
Paris
• Well-known example of Gothic
Architecture
• Tallest building in world for
600 years
•New ways to build tall
buildings – openings in building,
supports on outside, more
windows made the structure less
heavy
•Stained glass windows (Rose
Window)
• Pointed Arches

Cathedral of Notre Dame (Paris), Gothic
Architecture, 1163 CE

11. Flying Buttresses
Flying Buttresses helped
support the weight of
the building on the
outside
Invented during Gothic
Period
Gothic churches could be
very tall because of the
buttresses supporting
the weight

12. Ribbed Vaulting
• Used to Support the wide roof
in Gothic churches
• Wide Space without Columns
in the Middle (uninterrupted
space)
• Inspired by Human Anatomy

13. Stained Glass Windows
•Invented during the Gothic Period
•Light as a symbol of God
•Colorful images of Saints, donors to the church, animals, other
designs

14. Sainte-Chapelle Paris

15. Sainte-Chapelle
Paris
Vast expanses of stained glass
windows
Gothic style known as
“Rayonnant” or radiant,
because of the light and the use
of gold
Church built to house King
Louis IX’s collection of relics
(including a nail and a crown of
thorns from the Crucifixion) Sainte-Chapelle Church (Paris),
1243-1248 CE

16. Stained Glass detail
Furrier’s Shop (detail from
the Charlemagne window in
Chartres Cathedral, France)

17. Stained Glass detail
• Shop owner (Fur Shop) selling
his furs for coats
• Shop owner donated money to
the church
• Colorful details
• Cut pieces of class with
details drawn on the glass
Furrier’s Shop (detail from the
Charlemagne window in Chartres
Cathedral, France)

18. Virgin and Child (from the
Abbey Church of St. Denis),
Silver Gilt and Enamel, 1139 CE,
height 69cm
Reliquary Statue containing the hairs
of the Virgin Mary
Graceful S-curve pose - Gothic style
Commissioned by Queen Jeanne
d’Evreux
Statues similar to this one made for
homes and personal chapels

19. Virgin and Child

20. Comparison

21. Virgin and Child Enthroned

22. Artist: Giotto di Bondone,
Virgin and Child Enthroned, 1280 CE,
Tempera Paint and Gold on Wood,
10 feet 8 inches x 6 feet 8 inches
Painted for the Church of the Ognissanti (All
Saints) in Florence, Italy
Symmetrical Composition
Convincing Light and Shadow
Hierarchy of Figures (Scale of Virgin Mary
and Christ child compared to Angels)
Tempera Paint – Mixture of Dry Pigment and
Egg – paint dries quickly

23. Arena Chapel in Padua, Italy – Paintings by Giotto

24. Lamentation by Giotto

25. Artist: Giotti di Bondone
Lamentation, Arena Chapel (Padua, Italy)
Fresco Painting, 1305 - 1306
Giotto’s “Masterpiece” due to scale of
the work, his technique, and the quality of
the narratives
Chapel located near ancient Roman
arena, hence the name “Arena Chapel”
Stories about the life of Christ
organized into individual paintings
Lamentation – story of mourning the
death of Christ with the Virgin Mary
Fresco Painting – Type of wall painting
that involves painting into wet plaster
(painting is part of the wall)