GOTHIC CATHEDRALS

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GOTHIC CATHEDRALS
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Center of the Medieval World

• Gothic cathedrals were the largest economic force
  in the Middle Ages.
• They absorbed generations of architects,
  builders, masons, sculptors, stoneworkers,
  painters, stained-glass makers, metalworkers,
  jewelers and carpenters.
• The cathedral stood as the symbol of political
  and religious strength.

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Layout

• The pointed arch allows for the great height of
  the buildings.
• The arch channels the weight of the roof onto
  support columns and exterior buttresses, allowing
  for a higher ceiling.
• The movement of the weight opened up the interior
  space and allowed for the stone walls to
  incorporate stained glass.
• What does the shape remind you of? A cross?

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St. Denis

• In 1140, Abbot Suger directed the start of a new
  church for the kings of France in the what became
  the first gothic church.
• Walls were reduced to the minimum necessary to
  create a sense of light and space.
• The tower and spire echoes the effort to reach
  the heavens.
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• Notice the size of the visitors in front of the
  church.

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Chartres Cathedral

• Stained glass was used to tell stories and create
  light in the church. With a largely illiterate
  population, the glass provided a way to
  communicate. The public could read the
  pictures and sculptures in the nave.
• Builders competed to use as much stained glass as
  possible, reducing the masonry to the minimum.
• Do you see figures in the panes?
• Notice how many colors are used in each section.

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Chartres

• Chartres retains nearly all of the original
  stained glass in its famous rose window.
• Stained glass achieves its effect by the passage
  of light through the colors. Often the glass has
  additional etching on top to create a deeper
  figure.
• Each step in the process takes time and expertise
  to work properly.
• Does the interior look like buildings you have
  seen?

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Sainte Chappelle

• A small gem that showcases stunning glasswork,
  Sainte Chappelle is tucked into the middle of
  Paris.
• A plain lower church opens into a glittering
  upper chapel.
• Painting, gilding, and an almost complete circle
  of glass create the feel of a sitting in a jewel
  box.
• What shape are the arches? Do you get a sense of
  height?

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Sainte Chappelle

• The pointed arch is the biggest indication of a
  Gothic church. It is used here in the ceiling,
  the points for the windows, even the niches.
• Imagine how light and joyous this interior would
  have felt to people who rarely had seen glass,
  let alone huge glittering panels relating
  familiar stories.
• Does this look like a church to you? Why or why
  not?
• What message is the church sending about its
  power and wealth?

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Sainte Chappelle

• Not only did stained glass serve a role in
  decoration, but so did other arts.
• Unlike most Gothic churches, the interior here
  retains its colorful painting and gilding,
  painstakingly applied by master craftsmen.
• One of the miracles of these spaces is how well
  they have survived through the 700 years since
  they were built.
• Do you see pointed arches? How many? Does the
  decorating disguise the columns that support the
  roof?

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Notre Dame de Paris

• Notre Dame has lasted for 900 years in the heart
  of Paris. It is built over the site of a
  smaller, older pagan church.
• In this picture, you can see the flying
  buttresses taking the weight of the rear walls
  and roof around the cancel.
• Narrow circular stairs can be climbed to the top
  of the tower!

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Notre Dame de Paris

• Virtually every surface was covered with
  carvings, usually intended to tell a story.
• Gargoyles were included as a pagan holdover to
  scare off evil spirits.
• Carvings of saints often decorated doorways,
  while windows usually included tracery or arches
  in stone.

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Notre Dame de Paris

• Notre Dame is an example of a double aisle
  church, with an aisle between the columns and the
  exterior wall. The emphasis on height can be
  seen in the view of the nave.
• At the far end is the chancel, lined by small
  chapels dedicated to specific saints.
• Do you feel the strength of the columns holding
  up the weight of the roof?
• What does the repetition of the shapes make you
  think of?

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Notre Dame de Paris

• Notre Dame has two rose windows at either end of
  the transcept.
• The technology only existed to make small pieces
  of glass, which helped create the rich detail.
• Notre Dame has neither heating nor cooling, but
  the interior tends to be cool year round.
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• Does the glasswork remind you of mosaics? Why or
  why not?

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Westminster Abbey

• The French Style spread throughout Europe,
  creating some of the most enduring structures in
  modern times.
• Westminster Abbey is in London, England, and is
  considered a national treasure. It carries
  through the same characteristics of the other
  Gothic structures--pointed arches, heavy carving,
  and stained glass.
• How is this like Notre Dame
• How is it different?