Art in Focus

Chapter 15: Gothic Art

Lesson Summaries-English

          During the end of the Romanesque period, people were drawn from the countryside into the cities. Large cities such as Florence, Italy, became the centers of intellectual and artistic activity.

Lesson 1
Emergence of the Gothic Style

          During the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries, trade, the growth of cities, and the increasing power of kings brought an end to the feudal system. The term Gothic was used for the art style of this period that replaced classical Greek and Roman forms. French architects used pointed arches, piers, and flying buttresses to erect slender, soaring cathedrals. The arches directed pressure downward to slender supporting piers. Then, supports or braces, known as “flying buttresses,” reached over the side aisles of churches and counteracted the thrust of the piers. Since walls could be made much thinner, these were filled with colorful stained-glass windows depicting Christian themes. Sunlight streamed through the windows, illuminating the churches and the relief sculptures inside. Bishops in cities vied to build the most magnificent cathedral. The Gothic style was also adopted for monasteries and secular buildings.

Lesson 2
Gothic Sculpture and Illustrated Books

          Gothic sculptures complemented the architectural setting of the cathedrals on which they were placed. Since soaring cathedrals looked as if they were stretching upward to heaven, sculptures also were elongated. Clearly identifiable figures projected outward into space. They also became more realistic, appearing as real people and expressing emotions. Veneration for the Virgin Mary grew, and sculptures of her are gentle and human. The tops of cathedrals were decorated with gargoyles, grotesque flying monsters. These were actually rainspouts made to look like evil spirits fleeing the building.

          The demand for illustrated religious books grew during the Gothic period. Drawing on the influence of stained-glass art, illustrations show figures with dark outlines enclosed in architectural frameworks. Later artists adopted a more realistic manner, known as the International style. The famous Book of Hours by the Limbourg brothers shows scenes from each of the twelve months in rich detail.

Lesson 3
Italian Church Painting

          Gothic architecture did not become popular in Italy. Architects continued to build in the Romanesque style, and church walls were decorated with murals instead of stained glass. Paintings on wooden panels were also used. One famous work by Duccio di Buoninsegna included several panels, with the Virgin in Majesty as the subject of the main panel. The artist used a gold background, intense colors, and a shallow space, similar to Byzantine art. His figures seem more solid and express emotions. Another Italian artist, Giotto di Bondone, made even greater strides toward realism. His scenes from a chapel in Padua present realistic figures, actions, and emotions. Giotto’s paintings are murals created using the fresco technique, where pigment is applied to a wall spread with fresh plaster. Because this technique required a painting to be finished before the plaster dried, Giotto’s pictures are simple but powerfully expressive.