Gothic Art. 12th-15th centuries

Transcription

1 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

2 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

3 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.

4 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.

5 Gothic Architecture

6 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.

7 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.

8 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.

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14 Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore (English: Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Flower ) started being built in 1296 in the Gothic style and was completed in This cathedral is Florence s most beautiful cathedral and symbol of the city.

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18 Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore

19 Notre Dame de Paris is a beautiful Catholic cathedral in Paris. Begun in 1163, it was essentially complete by around One of the most famous French Gothic cathedrals, the Notre Dame is a great example of French Gothic architecture, sculpture and stained glass.

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24 Notre Dame de Paris

25 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.

26 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.

27 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.

28 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

29 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.

30 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.

31 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

32 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.

33 Seraph, unknown French glass painter, working at Reims Cathedral, c 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.

34 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

35 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.

36 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.

37 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)

38 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.

39 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!

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41 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.