Gothic Cathedrals: Medieval European Art

Picture a Gothic cathedral; what image comes to mind? A large dark building with long sleek arches? A dark interior with a monochrome aesthetic? In reality Gothic cathedrals are quite the opposite of that. Gothic cathedrals came to be in the early twelfth century and originated in France. They evolved from the Romanesque architecture that characterized medieval Europe and became popularized for of the use of the rounded-Roman arch. Gothic cathedrals differed quite a bit from that of those from Romanesque designs.

The Gothic cathedrals were designed to be immense open, bright, and welcoming. They were characterized by large stained-glass windows and wide-open interiors that drew the eye upwards. Gothic Cathedrals were criticized because of their unconventional design elements that included the pointed arch, ribbed vault, flying buttress, and second to none ornamentation. Gothic cathedrals are also important to art history as they both drew inspiration from generations prior and influenced generations after their creation.

From the outside, one of the most striking features of a Gothic cathedral are the pointed arches.

Arches in general were great architectural innovations that took the weight of the ceiling and distributed it evenly in a way that allowed for windows and more open interiors. At the time, the rounded Roman arches were the norm across Europe. They distributed the weight of heavy ceilings very equally, but, consequently, made for thick walls and in part doomed the buildings to only be a certain height. As previously stated, Gothic cathedrals were designed to draw the eye up to the heavens.

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Pointed arches made this possible. The weight of the ceiling and walls was concentrated right at the point. This made it possible to make massively tall walls that were much thinner than previous designs. While this innovation was widely used in Gothic architecture, Europeans were not the first to use pointed arches. Many Islamic cultures used this design in their holy buildings to achieve taller, thinner walls. Gothic cathedrals took this one step further to reach unprecedented heights in their buildings. While these designed were quite beautiful and structurally integral they were not adequate enough to be self-supporting.

The flying buttress was designed to be a secondary support structure for the tall, thin walls of the Gothic cathedrals. Normally columns would line the interior hallways or be attached to the exterior walls for extra support. The flying buttress was created to draw the weight of the roof away from the building to the outside column-like structures called buttresses. Most of the weight was directed down the stone buttress towards the ground making it possible for the walls of the buildings to be taller and thinner. The tops of the buttress were adorned with pinnacle structures, yet another distinctive element of the Gothic cathedral. Pinnacles were often pyramidal or conical in shape and enhanced the stability of the structure. The flying buttress connected the tops of the vaults to the outside support structures which incidentally formed beautiful arches. These arches are another element that give Gothic cathedrals their iconic look. Not to mention that without the flying buttress it would not have been possible for the Gothic cathedrals to have walls that were almost entirely made of stained glass windows.

Another feature that made it possible for the Gothic cathedrals to have tall, windowed walls was the use of ribbed vaulting. Due to the use of the rounded-Roman arches it was common practice to use barrel vaulting to form ceilings prior to the Gothic era. Groin vaults were created to make wider ceilings by crossing two-barrel vaults. These vaults, however, were extremely heavy and took a lot of energy to build. They also made the interiors of buildings look small and dark which is not a good look for a cathedral. Just as the barrel vaults took advantage of the architectural elements of the rounded arches, the ribbed vaults built upon the advancements of the pointed arch. Ribs formed where the arches came to a point and added more support for the vaults. They added so much support that the vaults could be loftier and be built thinner. This loftiness transformed the church interiors by giving them an expansive, welcoming atmosphere.

Another striking feature that set apart Gothic cathedrals are the way they are intricately ornamented. While most of the prominent features of Gothic cathedrals are structurally integral, the churches are not lacking in beauty. The outside walls of the cathedral were adorned with intricate patterns that were carved into the walls. Even their system for clearing rain water had to be decorative. Gargoyles are creature-like spouts that were designed to prevent water damage. They also had a spiritual meaning for the lesser educated and very superstitious people. Some believed that the creatures came to life at night, but most just believed the creature warded off unwelcome spirits both inside and outside of the cathedrals. Another prominent decorative feature of the Gothic cathedral are rose windows. Rose windows are circular windows with stained glass and intricate tracery on the outside that formed petal-like patterns. Rose windows would usually be placed at the west end of the nave of the cathedral centered above the highest point of the arched window. All of these elements and more made for cathedrals that were ornate and extremely beautiful.

Gothic cathedrals were second to none in the stature and elegance. Nothing prior to their construction had the same magnitude or level of ornamentation as the Gothic cathedrals. They were both influenced and influential in their design. Elements such as the pointed arch and the ribbed vault drew influence from Islamic cultures. The pointed arch originated in the eighth century in the Near East before spreading westward toward Europe. The ribbed vault likely originated in the tenth century near Islamic Spain. Buildings like the Lyndhurst Mansion in Tarrytown, New York and the Cathedral Building in Oakland, California show influence of Gothic elements.

References

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