Fluent Essays

Please talk about Gothic architecture ( attached ) and select a piece of ARCHITECTURE. answer the following questions. What is it about this creation that you like? who worked on it? How many people do you thing it took to successfully complete this piece of work? How does it stand out from the other pieces of art or architecture? Does it symbolically mean something to you? this paper should be less than 300 words in length. early_christian_art.pdf gothic_art.pdf Unformatted Attachment Preview Early Christian Art Lecture: Christian art is sometimes seen as the final phase of ancient art, this is the period of art where we are almost entering the Middle Ages. The early Christians had no need for art as did the Greeks and Romans. Life had focused on the church and prayer. The places of worship were small and inconspicuous. Jesus himself and his followers preached and praised, and taught in small homes, on hillsides and from the streets. The Christian communities remained small and the ceremonies were held in private homes. The earliest Christian art has been found in their architecture. The early Christians buried bodies in catacombs, which were underground cemeteries. The catacombs are vast subterranean networks of galleries and chambers in Rome and other cities that were designed as cemeteries for the burial of the Christian dead. From the second through the fourth centuries, the catacombs were in constant use; as many as four million bodies may have been accommodated in the Roman catacombs alone. Tunnels were built underground four to five levels deep. This was done in order to conserve space. They also could have served as places of concealment for fugitives; evidence of this function survives in blocked and cut-off staircases, secret openings and passages with concealed entrances and exits. Undoubtedly, the Christian mysteries must have been enacted here, although the principal function of the catacombs was as a mortuary. Some of the earliest forms of Christian art were found in these catacombs. The ceiling fresco of The Good Shepherd on page 293 suggests the dome of heaven. The circular design most likely resembles the Roman Pantheon dome in miniature. Four semicircles are arranged about the central circle and are united by bands, forming a Cross to show that this universal Christian symbol both embraces and reveals Heaven itself. In these catacomb paintings, we see the earliest representation of Christ. He is shown as the youthful beardless shepherd. Early Christian art consisted of paintings and mosaics on the walls and ceilings of these underground tombs. These tombs would have larger areas cut out in order to hold special ceremonies. These cut out areas were used as small chapels where feasts and burial services could be held. In the walls of these galleries, openings were cut to receive the bodies of the dead; these openings, were placed one above another, like shelves. The Painting of the Catacombs In early Christian art, Christ is the youthful and loyal protector of the Christian flock, who said to his disciples, I am the good Shepherd and the good Shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. The style of the catacomb painters is most often a quick, sketchy impressionism that compares unfavorably with the best Roman frescoes. Take into account that the catacombs were very unpromising places for the art of the mural decorator. Decomposing corpses spoiled the air, the humidity was excessive and the lighting was entirely unfit for elaborate compositions or painstaking execution. For designs on ceilings and arches the painter was required to assume awkward and tiring poses, and it is therefore no wonder that the frescoes often were completed hastily and the results frequently were of mediocre quality. Sculpture All Christians rejected cremation and the wealthier Christians had their bodily remains deposited in impressive marble sarcophagi. See page 309 for a 4 by 8 marble sarcophagi. A large number of these coffins have survived in the catacombs and elsewhere. Certain sarcophagi were privately commissioned and requested stories reflected to them from the old or new testaments. Monumental sculpture becomes increasingly rare in the fourth century and does not recover its place in the history of Western art until the twelfth century. Christian churches were not adorned with statues or relief carvings. Architecture The Early Christian Church was devoid of external decoration. Religious architecture was needed that could handle ceremonially vast masses of people. The roof was usually of an open timber construction, as was the case in many ancient buildings. Designs from temples and other monuments of the Roman past offered an inexhaustible supply. Borrowed columns were thus uncritically installed in the new basilicas, with little or no regard for consistency of style, color or size. It is one of the earliest preserved dome mosaics of Early Christian art. It imitates classical architecture with it’s columns, arches, and broken pediments. Granite and marble columns, Corinthian and Ionic capitals, were placed side by side; capitals were sometimes set on columns they did not fit. The emphasis on religion on an otherworldly goal tended to weaken interest in naturalistic representation of the spaces and object of this world; it also prohibited the depiction of the nude human body and this may derive from the shame of Adam and Eve. Early in this period representations of even the clothed human figure betray a lack of knowledge or of interest in the underlying structure of the body. By the Third century the structure of the Mass (which derives from the final Latin words of the rite, meaning depart, it is finished. The language both of the Church and of all official documents and learned writing throughout most of the Middle ages remained Latin. The actual Eucharist is from a Greek word for Thanks or sacrifice of bread and wine. Terms  Apse: The apse is half of a dome shape, which is a large semi-circular niche, usually directed toward the Holy Land. In Europe the apse would face towards the east. Usually the apse is found at both ends of the nave in a Roman Basilica. In a Christian church it is usually placed at one end of the Nave. Click here to view a detail of Saint Paul from an apse mosaic. This is only a single fragment of the original.  Basilica: This term is from the architecture of ancient Rome. It means it is used as a meeting place.  Fresco: A painting executed on wet plaster, this technique is done on both walls and ceilings.  Mosaics: Mosaics were used to convey images and life. Many of the mosaics were of saints, and biblical stories and events that occurred throughout this period. This would help the common man have visual representation of these important events. These mosaics were found in churches on walls and ceilings. There was a great deal of attention to detail in the mosaics and a great deal of symbolism involved in Christian art.  Nave: The Nave is the central aisle of the church, this is the area used by the congregation. The altar, which was placed at the head of the Nave, was most likely designed to be movable. This church shows a two-story nave, which ends in a triumphal arch leading to a sanctuary where the altar is located.  Pagan: A pagan is the follower of a religion in ancient Rome. Symbolism in Christian Art Symbolism is used to communicate ideas and feelings, especially those that you cannot reach through language and logic. These symbols can be found on many things like crafts and carvings that may have been done in stone, wood, ivory, mosaic decoration, engravings, manuscripts, embroidery and work found in precious metals and enamels.  Dove: The dove is a symbol of the Holy Spirit. It is also a symbol of innocence of the Christian soul.  Eagle: The eagle was an emblem of spiritual power and aspiration. Normally found as a brass eagle with wings holding the bible, carrying the Gospel message.  Fish: The fish is one of the most familiar of the early Christian symbols that also has a wide variety of inner meanings. Fishes also figure into miracles, many of the apostles were fishermen; the fish is also used to signify the human soul swimming to salvation through the waters of baptism. The fish also represents the Eucharist.  Gold: The use of gold in art has long been used as an equivalent for celestial light and beauty, this decoration brought a glowing richness to the shimmer of sun or from candlelight. It was used to represent heavenly things.  Halo: The use of a halo around the head has been used to attribute power of a divine being. This did th not become traditional in Christian art until the 6 century.  Lamb: The lamb is a symbol of Jesus as the Lamb of God.  Peacock: The peacock came to symbolize immortality of the soul and resurrection. It is a symbol of eternal life.  Serpent: The serpent symbolizes sin and evil, the devil was represented in the Garden of Eden as the serpent.  Tree: The tree is a powerful symbol of both life and knowledge. The evergreen tree suggests the continuing growth and life.  Vine: The vine is the most universal of all plant forms in decorative Christian Art.  Water: Water has been used as a symbol in art for centuries. In early Christian art, it has been representative of spiritual refreshment and of Faith. Water is also believed to be necessary for salvation. Gothic Art Lecture: The term Gothic is used today to designate the style that began in Northern France before the middle of the twelfth century and in the rest of Western Europe anywhere from a generation to a century later. Gothic architecture became a welcome escape from the rules of classical art. It soon became recognized as the refined intellectual, aesthetic and spiritual achievement of a highly developed urban society. Gothic revival of the 18th century meant Gothic revival buildings have continued to appear in most parts of the world. In England, there has not been a century since the eleventh when Gothic structures have not been built. Extremely large proportions of Gothic religious buildings still survive today, despite social upheavals and two world wars. They are largely intact and are still quite practical for daily use. The Gothic developed a competitive momentum, architects, sculptors and painters were well aware of what was being done elsewhere and were constantly trying to beat their rivals at their own game. The excitement of this momentum may be partly responsible for our enjoyment of Gothic Art. The Gothic style lasted for 400 years, from the mid twelfth century into the sixteenth century (everywhere except Italy). We tend to think of Romanesque as the architecture of the monasteries and to some extent this is true. However, only because in most Western cities, even some small ones, the Romanesque cathedrals of the eleventh and twelfth centuries became inadequate. In the late twelfth and thirteenth centuries they were replaced by larger Gothic structures. Gothic cathedrals were the largest economic enterprises of the Middle Ages. The cathedrals absorbed the activities of architects, builders, masons, sculptors, stone cutters, painters, stain-glass makers, carpenters, metal-workers, jewelers, utilizing materials brought sometimes from great distances. Monasteries were generally located in the country. A cathedral, by definition the seat of a Bishop was in a town and it became a symbol of the towns corporate existence and to a great extent this is still true today. In the Gothic period communal devotion to the construction of the cathedrals was so great that, according to contemporary chroniclers, not only did the rich contribute financially to the limit of their ability to the building and decoration of the cathedrals, but also rich and poor alike joined with laborers and oxen to pull the carts that were full of building materials. With their soaring height, their immense interiors, their pinnacles, towers and their innumerable images and narratives in stone, paint and glass, they united in a structure that constituted a comprehensive medieval picture of the Universe from the heights of Heaven to the depths of Hell. th The entire cathedral in the12 th and 13 century became a framework to hold stained glass, it darkened the interior but had its own indescribable beauty of color and pattern. Much Gothic stained glass has perished; some deliberately destroyed in later times either by Protestant reformers or simply in order to lighten cathedral interiors. The tain glass does tell many stories. After seeing a stain glass cathedral, one walks away with an experience of deep respect for the Middle Ages. The representations encompass the entire range of medieval knowledge, the Old and New Testaments, lives of the saints, labors of the months and signs of the zodiac. th The Colors of Gothic Stain Glass: In the 13 century the predominant colors were red and blue, white, yellow and green appear, but the red and blue contrast is what one remembers. Stained glass is fabricated from pieces shaped as closely as possible to the contour of a section of face, figure, drapery or background. A full scale model is made; drawn on wood or later on paper and the pieces of colored glass are cut to fit. The lines are then painted on the glass with a dark pigment. After this paint dries, a coating of pigment is sometimes applied and scraped away with a stiff brush while still wet, so that what remains in the hollows will increase the sparkle of the underlying color. The pieces are then fired in a kiln, so that the pigment will harden. Finally the pieces are arranged on the model and joined together by lead soldering strips. Each scene is enclosed in an iron frame and the frames are bolted together within the tracery so that they can be easily taken down for repairs. In France, cathedral windows were removed twice in the present century to protect them from damage in the two world wars. Tracery on Stain Glass Cathedrals: As the art of stain glass grew more sophisticated, the clergy became aware that these windows which so enhanced the beauty of their churches th could have an educational value. In the last years of the 10 century, the storybook windows that illustrated in a series, the lives of the saints and biblical stories, for the benefit of the largely illiterate churchgoers, began to make their appearance. In the early years of stain glass windows, the limitations of the craft had prevented windows of large sizes from developing. In the later half th of the 12 century iron frameworks called armatures were built into the walls. The stain glass was fastened to them. It is thus that the so called medallion (a decorated window) was developed. As the stained-glass designer skill increased, so did the builders desire to increase the light in the church. Even with the use of iron frameworks it was difficult to strengthen a window opening over 8 wide. It became necessary to divide the larger area into smaller widths, and thus tracery was originated. Tracery is the ornamental design of stone ribs, with varying patterns on a window. Tracery designs differed from country to country, but the general trend was from geometric shapes, circled, triangle to flamboyant forms in the later years. The flamboyant style is the last phase of French Gothic named for the flame like quality of its intricate curvilinear design. Vault: A vault is an arched roof or covering made of brick, stone or concrete. The Gothic builders perfected the rib and groin vaults, and incorporated them with the pointed arch. Only when diagonal ribs are used in direct conjunction with pointed transverse arches in the vaulting of an interior can a structure be identified as Gothic. This form of rib vaulting was the decisive factor in the evolution of the French Gothic Cathedral. In looking up at a Gothic ceiling we can see the vaults are only draperies, and that the ribs are really the constructive parts of the ceiling. If the ribs were removed the ceiling would fall in. The vaults could be removed and the skeleton, made up of the ribs, arches, and columns would remain intact. Flying Buttresses: The buttress has been used in architecture since ancient times. A buttress is a mass of masonry or brick that project from, or is built against a wall to give it added strength, and may also receive and transmit the weight of a roof to the base or foundation. The first buttresses were simply an extra thickness of the wall at the point where the ribs from the vault joined it. They supported almost the whole weight of the vault, and the actual walls had little work to do. The structure of the Gothic church exerts an outward and downward thrust. This thrust increased, as churches became taller and wider. To avoid thickening the walls as earlier builders did, the Gothic mason added buttresses. As the desire for taller buildings developed, the Gothic builders developed the flying buttress. The flying buttress, developed th in the mid-12 century, is a purely Gothic development, which enable the builders upward and outward freedom. As the Gothic period developed, the buttresses themselves became larger, heavier, richly ornamented, and more complex. Pinnacles were added which seem to be purely decorative, yet are structurally functional. Pinnacle: A small turret or spire on a buttress served the purpose of bearing the buttress down more firmly into the ground. They exerted a vertical pressure that helped to counteract the vaults outward thrust. Villard de Honnecourt. Sheet drawings with geometric figures and ornaments. Gargoyle: Gargoyles are grotesque stone figures most commonly found on Gothic buildings at the roof or eaves. Originally the term meant the unadorned spout that extended outward from a rain gutter; the gargoyle allowed water to fall free of the building, preventing seepage and damage to masonry. Eventually the spout became a carved head or body with grotesque features. Although the demons and monsters so prevalent in cathedral sculpture may seem almost quaint to modern eyes, the men of the Middle Ages did not find them so. The purpose of most cathedral sculpture was not decorative. It was intended to scare the hell out of its beholders, presenting the horrors of damnation in living color. Only slight traces of the original color can be seen today. ... Purchase answer to see full attachment