Essay 5b

Old and New  

Question: Could the Art of the Gothic period be considered "new" and if so, could geography have been a factor and, what else could have contributed to it? 

Part One

Summary: In answering this question, I realized not every style that is "new" is completely so. Most ideas are influenced by preceding ideas, or ideas of other cultures, which causes art and architecture from various locations and time periods to have similar characteristics. 

Reason: I believe the reason this question was asked was to cause us students to look at art and architecture from different periods and locations and attempt to figure out what aspects may be new, and what may not necessarily be new.

Purpose: The purpose of this question was to show how just because an art style may appear new, does not mean that it truly is. Also, another purpose was to cause me to be able to view art styles and be able to see the characteristics that came from earlier styles. 

Direction: In answering this question, I read the chapter on the Gothic period in Art History and also continuously referred to earlier chapters in order to compare items from the Gothic period to those of previous periods. I have always had an interest in the Gothic period and have known that the style is not completely new, but I have always thought of it as unique; the research for this question did not change my views on the topic. 

Impressions: I did not have any moments in answering this question that particularly stood out to me. However, this is probably due to an earlier essay that I wrote discussing the similarities and differences of the Gothic period and the Egyptian Armana Period, which helped in my writing of this period because I had an idea of what aspects of the Gothic period were not exactly new.

Part Two

Answer: By the time of the Gothic period, after extensive migration and trade had taken place throughout Europe, and ideas and custom had been continuously exchanged, could any art forms truly be considered "new"? Much of the artwork and architecture of the Gothic period is influenced by earlier periods, which is apparent. But still, there are many aspects, especially in architecture, that give the Gothic period a certain uniqueness when compared to earlier art styles.

Originating in the 12th century in Paris, the styles of the Gothic period have their primary roots in the preceding Romanesque period. Much of the architecture of the Romanesque period, plainly stated in the name, had been influenced by Roman architecture, and can be considered as a revival of Roman styles. Such influences included the use of rounded arches, semi-circular portions of buildings, and a return to the use of sculpture. All of these aspects eventually influenced the architecture of the Gothic period. However, by the Gothic period, builders began modifying the Romanesque styles and creating newer, unique styles, especially within architecture, which will be my main focus of this essay. 

Abbey Church of Saint-Denis. c. 1140-1144.

The Abbey Church of Saint-Denis is considered to be the first Gothic building. Constructed between the 1130s and 1140s, under the supervision of Abbot Suger, the cathedral features stained glass windows, pointed arches, and pointed barrel vaults; all of which become key characteristics of Gothic architecture. Pointed barrel vaults and arches are by no means new to the Gothic period. The use of such architectural features began to appear in Europe during the Romanesque period, but became incredibly popular during the Gothic period, which is due to a desire to build on a larger scale and pointed arches and vaults are more structurally sound than round arches. As stated in Art History: "Pointed arches are structurally more stable than round ones, directing more weight down into the floor instead of outward to the walls. Consequently, they can span greater distances at greater heights without collapsing" (p. 463).

Cathedral of Notre-Dame, Paris.

Two forms of architecture that can be considered new in the Gothic period are the flying buttresses and stained glass windows. The flying buttress is "a gracefully arched, skeletal exterior support, [which] counters the lateral thrust of the nave vault and transfers its weight outward, over the side aisles, where it is resolved into and supported by a vertical external buttress, rising from the ground" (Art History, p. 496). The first use of flying buttresses appeared in Paris during the construction of the Cathedral of Notre-Dame and were used to increase window size and support the vault, which rose 115 feet high. (Art History. p. 496). Such structures gave the outer portions of cathedrals an almost web-like appearance, with the main area of the building at the center; as if the cathedral were the spider, and the flying buttresses her web.

Good Samaritan Window. Stained & painted glass. c. 1200-1210

The use of stained glass windows became a prominent key feature in Gothic architecture. The first appearance of such windows was in the Abbey church of Saint-Denis. In creating the design for the Abbey, Abbot Suger had been inspired by "a follower of St. Paul named Dionysius...who considered radiant light a physical manifestation of God" (Art History. p. 494). In trying to give the Abbey light that would be as if a manifestation of God, Suger developed the idea of using stained glass windows as part of the abbey walls to allow radiant, colorful light to penetrate the inside of the Abbey. Such windows did not contain colored glass randomly placed, but were comprised of biblical stories. The Good Samaritan Window, located in the Chartres Cathedral is a perfect example of the forms of narrative that appeared on stained glass windows. Starting from the top of the window, the stories of the Creation, the fall of Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden, and the Good Samaritan. While the use of stained glass in windows is new to the Gothic period, the displaying of narratives is not. Such narratives appear in ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics, in carvings and statuary of the Greeks and Romans, and also in the frescoes and mosaics that were common in Byzantine and other early Christian churches.

Pulpit Baptistery. Marble. c. 1260.

Also making a comeback in Gothic architecture is the use of carvings and statues inside and outside the cathedrals. Such carvings and statues have characteristics which give away that they are from the Gothic period, but the majority of the characteristics contain primarily Greek and Roman influences. The marble pulpit of the Pisa Baptistery, sculpted by Nicola Pisano, is an incredible example of the use of Gothic and Classical architecture and sculpture. The pulpit contains "columns topped with leafy Corinthian capitals [which] support standing figures and Gothic trefoil arches" (Art History. p. 522). While the trefoil arches give the pulpit its Gothic distinction, every other feature appears to be more Roman than anything else. The figures in the panels along the top of the pulpit are reminiscent of scenes that appeared on Roman sarcophagi reliefs; "the sculptural treatment of the deeply cut, full-bodied forms is certainly Classical in inspiration, as are the heavy, placid faces" (Art History. p. 524).

In conclusion, if anything that came out of the Gothic period can truly be considered "new", it would be the use of flying buttresses and stained glass windows. But even still, as I stated before, while the medium may be new, the use of narratives portrayed on stained glass windows is not new. In prior times, the narratives were either carved into, or painted on walls. The use of pointed arches began in the Romanesque period, but probably had their origin in more eastern regions. Overall, the combination of new features in architecture with older styles, gives the architecture of Gothic cathedrals their new, unique appearance.