Gothic Art (mid-12th c. thru 15th c.

)
Architecture

Stained Glass

Sculpture

Gothic Art &

Architecture
Illuminated Manuscripts

Painting

AKM Khademul Haque

University of Dhaka

Ideas of time:
Life is bad
Humans worse
God is great
Man is conceived of blood made rotten by the heat of lust; and in the end worms,
like mourners, stand about his corpse. In life he produced lice and tapeworms;
in death he will produce worms and flies. In life he produced dung and vomit; in
death he produces rottenness and stench. In life he fattened one man; in death
he fattens a multitude of worms.
- Pope Innocent III, On the Misery of the Human Condition, c.1200

Cathedrals are place of sanctuary from evil, a place to be

closer to God.

Gothic Architecture

Emphasis on Verticality

Three architectural elements define the Gothic style:

Towers, Spires, Pinnacles, and Elongated Sculpture help create the effect of elegant,
soaring buildings.
For the observer, vision is focused upward, toward Heaven.

Pointed Arch

Flying Buttress

Ribbed Vault

(Salisbury Cathedral, England)

Ogee: a shape consisting of a

concave arc flowing into a
convex arc, so forming an Sshaped curve with vertical
ends.

Arch: the pointed arch is widely

regarded as the main identifiable
feature of Gothic architecture
(distinct from the round arch of
the Romanesque period). The
most common Gothic arches are
the Lancet, Equilateral and Ogee.

Lancet: An arch that is

narrow and pointed like the
head of a spear.

Equilateral: An arch described

by two circular curves
intersecting at the peak of the
arch, each curve having a chord
equal to the span.

(Chartres Cathedral, France)

Vault: an arched ceiling.

(Flying) Buttress: a mass of stone built up to support a wall,
usually necessary to strengthen those of great height.

Types:
Barrel vault: semicylindrical vault.
Groin vault: two
intersecting barrel
vaults.
Ribbed vault: A vault
in which the surface is
divided into webs by a
framework of diagonal
arched ribs.

(Sainte-Chapelle, Riom, France)

Floor Plan Gothic Cathedral (Amiens, France)

Faade: one
side of the
exterior of a
building; The
west end faade
is often referred
to as the West
Front.

Tympanum: the semi-circular or triangular decorative wall

surface over an entrance.

Nave: the main body of a church or cathedral. Sometimes

defined only as the central aisle.

(Madgeburg Cathedral,
Germany)

Aisle : Passageways of a church or cathedral, separated

from the Nave by rows of pillars; generally running
along the north and south sides.

(Durham Cathedral, Normandy)

(Chartres Cathedral, France)

Transepts : the north and south projecting extensions

of a cruciform style church or cathedral, crossing at right
angles to the greater length.

Crossing : The central space of a church or cathedral. The

intersection of the Nave, Transepts and Chancel.

Apse: a semi-circular or polygonal termination of the main

building at the east end (where the altar is).

Choir: the area of the main altar where services are

sung, located between the crossing and the apse.

Ambulatory: passageways surrounding the central part of

the choir, which is often a continuation of the side aisles.

Radiating chapels: chapels projecting radially from the curve

of an ambulatory.

Lady chapel: chapel attached to a church and dedicated to the

Blessed Virgin; often larger than other chapels.

Rose Windows
Developed from oculus or circle shaped window used in early Christian and Byzantine
architecture.
Characterized in Gothic era by stone tracery that separated windows into segments.
Windows with simple spoke design also called wheel window.
Subjects often depicted: Last Judgment and Virgin Mary.

Stained Glass
Architect Abbot Suger (mid-12th c.) rebuilt church in one of first
examples of Gothic style in France. He believed the presence of
beautiful objects, like stained glass, would lift mens souls closer to
God.

Gothic Tracery: ornamental stonework most often

seen supporting window glass. Sometimes used merely
as decoration on panels and moldings and then called
'blind' tracery.

Clerestory: upper level of the nave of the cathedral.

Painting

The walls rise above the rooflines of the aisles. Stained

glass windows in clerestory walls allow in extra light.

What is called Gothic style painting began roughly

50 years (1200) after Gothic architecture and sculpture.
Painting was used in different crafts: frescoes, panel
paintings, illuminated manuscripts, and stained glass.

Narrative frescoes predominantly found on church

walls in southern Europe.

Panel Painting
Painting on
wooden panel;
single or multiple
pieces joined
together (triptych =
3 panels).
Begun late 12th c.
Used to decorate
altars (altarpieces).
Common subjects:
Christ, Virgin Mary,
saints (sometimes
donors were also
depicted as minor
figures in painting).

Illuminated Manuscripts
Handwritten document in which text is supplemented by decoration such as borders,
decorated initials, and miniature illustrations.
Manuscripts date back to Late Antiquity; majority survive from Middle Ages; some were
still produced in Renaissance. Printing led to the decline of manuscripts.
In Middle Ages manuscripts were religious until the 13th c. when secular texts began to
be illuminated as well.

Text:
Layout planned.
Text written.
Script varied regionally.
Display books: Bibles, Gospel
Bibles, Pslaters, Books of Hours.

Rubrics: highlighted text written in red letters.

Bibles, psalters, books of hours were illuminated.

Images:
After text set, illustration began.
Early Middles Ages: display books
were illuminated and manuscripts
were not; used for study. By Gothic
period, almost all texts had some
decoration.
Gothic display books had more
elaborate decoration: foliate prints,
drolleries (mixed creatures).

Gothic Painting Styles

Lineal or French Gothic style (13th c.):

Gothic Painting Styles (cont.)

International Gothic style (14th c.):

Importance of drawing lines that confine color

Importance given to anecdote and emotion

Intense color

Highly stylized images

Tempera paint

Curved lines, draperies, movement

Naif naturalism; simple scenes.

Natural details with symbolic character

(Oratory of John the Baptiste)

Wall painting, wood painting, miniature

Flemish style (15th c.):

Italian Gothic style (14th c.):
Attention to perspective and study of human
body.
Importance given to light in relation to color
Depiction of emotion in order to move
viewer
Stylized figures

Use of oil to link colors (as opposed to egg

or glue used with tempera paints)
Colors are more brilliant and vivid,
transparency can be created and composite
colors appear
More complex and detailed works
Beginning of easel painting
(The Arnolfini Portrait, 1434; Van Eyck)

Simone Martini (1238-1349)

Born and worked in Siena,
Italy; student of Duccio, artist of
Italian style.

Cenni di Pepo (Giovanni) Cimabue (1240-1302)

Born in Florence; died in Pisa. Highlyregarded in his day based on number of
commissions he received.

Work includes: cathedral

frescoes, altarpieces, palace
murals.

Painted panel and wall paintings.

Style: flat perspective, stylized figures, more
naturalistic life-like proportions and shading.

Style: soft, decorative features,

sinuous line, elegant.
Influences: French illuminated
manuscripts and ivory carving.

(The Annunciation and Two Saints, 1333)

(Portrait of Folgliano in honour of the capture of Montemassi,

1328)

(Detail: The Annunciation and Two Saints, 1333)

(St. Louis of Toulouse, 1317)

From Dantes Inferno:

(The Blessed Mother, Angels, and St.

Francis)

(Crucifix at St. Domenico, Arezzo,

1275)

(Apocalyptic, Assisi 1280)

(Crucifixion, upper church, St. Francesco, Assisi 127780)

Giotto di Bondone (1266 - 1337)

Florence, Italy; painter, architect, and sculptor.
Style: realistic depiction of figures; emotionally expressive; uses perspective.

O vanity of human powers,

how briefly lasts the crowning green of glory,
unless an age of darkness follows!

Known for emotionally expressive work. Body postures and facial expressions of his figures
communicate the humanity of the situations he paints.
Wall frescoes include: the life of St. Francis at Assisi (debated), the lives of Jesus Christ and
Virgin Mary at Scrovegni (Arena) Chapel at Padua (masterwork), and other commissions for
princes and high churchmen in Naples and Florence.

In painting Cimabue thought he held the field,

but now its Giotto has the cry,
so that the others fame is dimmed.
- Canto XI

Public lost interest in Cimabue

with rise of Renaissance painters.
Giotto is Cimabues student.
(Maesta, St. Francis of Ufizzi; Cimabue)

(Madonna and Child Enthroned, 1310;

Giotto)
(Mourning of Christ)

(Arena Chapel Crucifixion, Padua, 130607)

(Kiss of Judas)

Jean Malouel (1365-1415)

Jan Van Eyck (1395-1441)

Netherlands; court painter for Philip the Bold, Duke of Burgundy and his successor, John the
Fearless. Father and uncle were also artists. Malouel is the uncle of famous manuscript illuminators
the Limbourg Brothers.

Netherlands painter; worked in Bruges.

Lived and worked in Paris and Dijon.

Court painter 1422-1424 for Duke Philip the Good of Burgundy. Also
painted private commissions. Well-known in his day.

Achieved new and remarkable effects using oil paints.

Works: At Philips dynastic burial place, Chartreuse of Champmol: five altarpiece panels, painting
the Well of Moses, and Philips burial tomnb; Pieta tondo (circular painting); Last Communion and
Martyrdom of St. Denis, thought to be begun by Malouel and completed by Henri Bellechose.

Works: The Arnolfini Portrait, 1434; Madonna with Chancellor Rolin,

Madonna of Canon Georg Van der Paele; the religious painting,
Annunciation; Portrait of Margaretha (his wife) and Portrait of a Man (selfportraits).

Style: use of transparent glazes (would be used by Van Eyck with oil paints).

(Annunciation)

Style: faithful observation of nature; used disguised religious symbols.

(Madonna with Chacellor Rolin)

(Pieta, 1440)

(John the Fearless, 1400)

(Last Communion and Martyrdom of St. Denis, 1416)

(Madonna of Canon Georg Van der

Paele)

(Portrait of
Margaretha)

(Portrait of a Man)