Art and Architecture
Middle Ages and the Renaissance: Cathedrals
The European Gothic style architecture offers the world beauty in the spiritual domain in three dimensions. Gothic cathedrals in each European country have unique characteristics of the culture of the country. Medieval builders and architects used great thrusts of tower design to reach the Cathedral closer to heaven.
The building of the magnificent Cathedrals in Europe from the 12th century until the early part of the 1600s can make one puzzle over the reason those years are often called the Dark Ages. Even from photographs on the Internet two Cathedrals in France are still imposing. They are satisfying and interesting to sit and ponder like viewing a piece of art like a painting. Public building of churches was a part of the communities pride in their faith and their town.
Two Cathedrals in France are so imposing that they have unofficial titles yet which they are known by. The Chatres Cathedral finished in 1260 is known as the “Mother Cathedral;” the church is devoted to the Virgin Mother Mary. (Garrison, 2005) Joseph Campbell who explored the mythologies of Europe said that when he entered interior worship area, the nave, he was entering the “womb of the world (Garrison, 2005). The nave is 427 feet long. The shape of the arched windows and their height plus the narrow columns reaching to the roof all work together to give the feeling of height
Notre Dame Cathedral has a feeling of dominance and strength compared to the slender, delicate lines of Chatres. Notre Dame is known as the “Ambassador of the World.”
Notre Dame is an absolutely, sturdy structure which dominates the scene. The main structure is basically rectangular and square shapes. The details, the large details on the face of the building and upon entering have more natural lines. Three big circles each ‘hang’ above Persian style arches which come to a point making them as high as possible. The entrance archways are deep and lead into the doors. Upon stepping under the arches at the entrance of the cathedral there is a transition from leaving the city of Paris and entering a different realm.
Much was learned about the weight-bearing capacity of structures because they met the challenges of many complicated building techniques to create cathedrals. For example that is the reason buttresses were designed. The flying buttress is a structural feature that acts as a counterforce to the pressure on the structure from the outside. Once this structural engineer problem was solved it became possible to build higher towers. Notre Dame was the first cathedral to be built with flying buttresses (Abelard, 2012).
The nave is the heart of the cathedral because it is the place where worship takes place. The nave is a rectangular room on the ground floor but the exceptional structural part about the nave is that its ceiling is very high; it reaches towards the sky. The walls of the room which construct the nave may not form a large room considering the floor space, but by making the room long and narrow plus the added measure of great ceiling height gives a spaciousness and even majesty to the room.
The gallery in the building is necessary because the cathedral when it was built was the center of each town’s cultural activities not only for the community’s religious ceremonies. The galleries on the second floor above the ground floor aisles fit into the form and purpose of the structure. The nave still could have walls soaring to a high ceiling with no interruption yet more people could be accommodated. People in the gallery could comfortably view activities staged in the nave from the higher vantage point. Originally the Gothic cathedrals functioned both for the religious masses and also as the public meeting place for theater or even for political meetings and events.
The art and the architecture work together to give what is still today considered aesthetically pleasing. Decorative art is an integral part of the design of Gothic cathedrals, but not in a way that overwhelmed the structural components of the buildings. The structures of the cathedrals were massive and the decorative art was carefully placed not only as a way to be aesthetically pleasing but also to support the purpose of the buildings. For example, the arch of a doorway is connected to the doors lintel with a vertical component which is called the tymapanum. Earthlore (2012) explains that tympanum is the “often considered the premier site for sculpture.” The visitor to the cathedral must look up to see the sculpture which should encourage thinking thoughts of heaven when in the religious space.
The original stained glass windows of the Chatres remained intact for a long time. The pattern of the stained glass windows was designed in a special way so that when sunrays hit the stained glass the light would seem radiant. The style is called the Rayonnant Style.
The major type of construction materials for the great Gothic Cathedrals was stone. Local limestone quarries were the source of the most of the Parisian buildings. Wood and marble were used when necessary in the cathedrals and also for decoration. For instance wood doors were intricately carved and marble religious figures and griffins were sculpted from marble.
References
Abelard (2012) Gothic Cathedral and Church Construction. www.abelard.org. Accessed 18 Feb 2012 from http://www.abelard.org/france/cathedral-construction.php#construction
Chatres Cathedral (2011) Scared Destinations. Sacred Destinations. sacreddestinations.com. Accessed 18 Feb 2012 from http://www.sacred-destinations.com/france/chartres-cathedral
Earthlore (n.d.) Explorations Gothic Dreams. www.elore.com. Accessed 18 Feb 2012 from http://www.elore.com/Gothic/contents.htm
Earthlore (n.d.) Notre Dame. www.elore.com. Accessed 18 Feb 2012 from http://www.elore.com/Gothic/History/Overview/paris.htm
Garrison, Jim. (2005). Honoring the founding of the Chatres School.
sevenpillarshouse.org. Accessed 18 Feb 2012 from http://www.sevenpillarshouse.org/
article/honoring_the_founding_of_the_chartres_school/
