3. gothic architecture
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Gothic Architecture
1150 A.D – c.1400 A.D.
What is ‘Gothic’?
The Gothic period was progressionary step from the preceding Romanesque period.
The word ‘Gothic’ was a derogatory term coined during the Renaissance to describe the old-fashioned and unenlightened of the period.
Influences on the Period
The ever increasing wealth and power of the Catholic Church.
Significant advances in structural engineering.
The combination of rib-vaulting and pointed arches.
The importance given to biblical & local saints.
Gothic Beginnings
Gothic Architecture began with the construction of the Benedictine Abbey of St. Denis, in the Ile-de France, just north of Paris in 1144.
The Abbey was build under the stewardship of Abbot Suger.
Abbot Suger is known as the ‘creator of Gothic’.
Gothic Churches
They became an important status symbol for a town.
Churches began to get significantly bigger and as a result we began to call these larger buildings cathedrals.
Gothic Stages
The Experimental Stage
- Roughly the period from the building of the Abbey Church at St. Denis to the opening decades
of the thirteenth century.
The Classical Stage
- Spans the entire thirteenth century
The Flamboyant Stage- Extends into the end of the fifteenth century
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A Typical Gothic Cathedral
Gothic Architectural Features
Pointed Arches Flying Buttresses Thin walls Cruciform Shape High Pointed Spires Stained Glass Windows Rib-Vaulting High Relief Sculpture
Gothic Architectural Features
Pointed Arches
The most obvious difference between Gothic and Romanesque architecture is the shape of the arches.
Pointed arches were stronger than the rounded Romanesque arch.
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Gothic Architectural Features
Rib Vaulting• A ribbed vault is criss-crossed
by ribs of solid stone that provide a skeletal frame to support the vault.
• Ribbed Vaults were much lighter and did not need massive stone walls to support them.
• As a direct result it was possible to open large spaces in the walls for windows.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Gotic3d2.jpg
Gothic Architectural Features
Flying Buttresses
• A flying buttress is an external arch that was used to support the central nave wall and eliminate the outward thrust caused by the weight of the roof and ceiling structure of Gothic cathedrals.
http://www.columbia.edu/cu/gsapp/BT/EEI/MASONRY/14typgoth.jpgt downwards to the ground.
Gothic Architectural Features
Stone Tracery
Tracery are the stonework elements that support the glass in a Gothic Window.
Gothic tracery began as simple geometric patterns but evolved into the very elaborate and complex ‘Rayonnant’ style.
http://www.victorianweb.org/art/architecture/gothic/11.jpg
Gothic Architectural Features
Stained Glass
With the advent of Gothic architecture, stained glass flourished with the expansion of immense window spaces in Gothic cathedrals.
The windows of the period depicted complex ideas, with embellished biblical narrative being the main focus.
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Cluny Abbey
Acknowledgements
Art Associates Maria Moore
Margaret O’Shea
Local Facilitator TeamAine Andrews
Joe CaslinJane Campbell
Siobhan CampbellNiamh O’Donoghue
Niamh O’NeillKeith O’Rahilly
Sheena McKeonTony MorrisseyMonica White
Many thanks to the following for their invaluable contribution to the European Art History and Appreciation series of workshops and resource materials.
PDST Professional Development Service for Teachers
PDST Professional Development Service for Teachers
The PDST is funded by the Department of Education and
Skills under the National Development Plan 2007 -
2013
Cultural & Environmental Education
Professional Development Service for Teachers (PDST)Dublin West Education Centre,
Old Blessington Road,Tallaght,Dublin 24
National Co-ordinatorConor Harrison
Mobile: 087 240 5710E-mail: [email protected]
AdministratorAngie Grogan
Tel: 014528018 Fax: 014528010E-mail: [email protected].