In the 19th century, a transition of time was marked by the departure of fundamental laws in the history of the German civilization. The Gothic architecture grew rapidly and gained admiration for its Neo-Gothic styles, which meant to revive the medieval Gothic style. The tension between the modern and the ancient style reached its peak. The figures were conservative in comparison to innovation in architecture. Goethe through Gothic explorations is based on principles of architecture that gives the architect freedom for invention and creativity. Goethe was an advocate of Gothic ornaments that evoked beauty and a sense of truth in him. He compared the cathedral to nature that detested the unnecessary masses that existed out of necessity.
According to Goethe, he considered the German Gothic as suitable for re-establishing national identity in the political fragmented land. He aimed at achieving cultural unity with a higher Christian purpose and historical dialect of emblems in earlier times. He praised the Gothic architecture when the mausoleum of Queen Louise was designed. The unique mixture of the classic and the Gothic style can be seen in Friedrichswerder Church that was built in Berlin, Germany between the years 1824-1831. The style reflects the architecture of a historical context in the German history. The medieval and the antique heritage were considered to be in continuous context as the basis of an architectural development. The Gothic revival was supported by medievalism, which had its concerns in the antiquarian. It also took a political association of the neo-classical style which was associated with liberalism and republicanism as evidenced in the United States. The composition of the Gothic architecture was considered for its symbolic value in its neoclassical form.
Reasons for Goethe description of the Gothic architecture
Goethe authored a novel which contained letters that were written in different languages, religious poems and a prose epic. He understood the art of systems and distinguished between the general structures that were produced through empirical accumulation or aggregation. This was later represented in a systematic and a necessary form. Goethe had an interest in literary works that he presented in some of his conversations. The philosophical speculation of Germans made their style obscure, difficult and vague. In the mid 18th century, out of an increased interest, the rise of romanticism and an awareness of the middle age created an approach towards the selected medieval arts such as the royal tomb monuments, the church architecture and the Gothic illuminated manuscripts. Nationalists and sentimental associations of the Gothic architecture were purely for aesthetic purposes. They combined with other styles such as the European Brick Gothic to make it have a plain appearance.
Younger generations have taken Gothic architecture and antiques more seriously. Goethe has expressed his appreciation for the medieval arts and ethos and described the architecture as the product of a more pure culture. He suggested that modern architects who seek to emulate the medieval style should reproduce using its methods. The French and the Germans claim that the original Gothic architecture originates from their countries. In Germany, the completion of the cathedral was seen as one of the significant accomplishments of the Gothic architecture. The ideas of Venetian Gothic architecture have been supplemented by more influential theoretical works such as Gothic buildings. The strength and flexibility of neo-gothic designers have created innovative structural Gothic forms which are made of stone and cast-iron (Lefaivre & Tzonis 138-149).
Why issues of wholeness and originality are crucial in this context
The Gothic style symbolizes institutions with different ideological forces during the medieval period. The first monuments considered as capitalistic were urban structures that were located in the New York City and they dominated its socio-economic environment. The architectural style is characterized by its unique appearance which was developed in the great churches and appeared in the Holy Roman Empire. The major influences that affected the Gothic architecture development were an inclined temperament which was used to create cathedrals that were smaller in size, and a technical need which helped easing of tasks distinguishing the Gothic style (Sharpe 56). The first modern monument located in a metropolitan city was the original idea of a capitalist society.
Gothic architecture has been the centre of attraction for historians of the Renaissance period, which is a high classical art of the dark ages during the medieval period. The enlightenment of the German romantics has made literature and art play a distinctive role in the Germanic Christian past (Lefaivre & Tzonis 69). The Gothic style mystical aspect has corresponded with a romantic search of a rational human experience. The painting of the cathedral has a unifying principle which is a representation of a potential harmony of the romantic spirit. Modern architects value simplicity and originality to avoid dealing with chaotic forms and decorations that are found in the Gothic style. The art validates a strong emotion, which is a good source of the visual experience, and places different emotions of the untamed nature.
Works cited
Lefaivre, Liane, and Alexander Tzonis. Architecture of regionalism in the age of globalization:
peaks and valleys in the flat world. Abingdon, Oxon: Routledge, 2012. Print.
Mallgrave, Harry, F. Modern architectural theory: a historical survey, 1673-1968.
Cambridge UK: Cambridge University Press, 2005. Print.
Sharpe, Lesley. The Cambridge companion to Goethe. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press,
2002. Print.
