TRIMBLE TECH VISUAL ARTS
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Gothic


Key Ideas

  • "Gothic" term coined by the historian Georgia Vasari during the Renaissance. Originially meant to be derogative as he thought the gothic style was crude and ugly.
  • Perfected the Romanesque style (ribbed vaults, groin vaults, pointed arches, and clerestories.
  • The quest for Height and Light is very important. The higher the architecture, the closer to God you'll be. Light is the manifestation of God known as lux nova, new light.
  • Sculpture/reliefs are higher in relief and emphasizes the verticality of the architecture.
  • Women were no longer considered "handmaidens of the devil". The Cult of the Virgin replaced a previous veneration of Eve, the great sinner.
  • Saint Denis is the first fully Gothic structure in France. The ambulatory becomes the new focus. Abbot Suger is credited to creating this new gothic style. He believed the church should be of great beauty. The more grand, the closer to God the worshipper could become. 

Important Vocabulary

  • pointed arch
  • ambulatory
  • ribbed groin vault
  • flying buttress
  • nave arcade
  • triforium
  • tribunal gallery
  • aisle
  • nave
  • ambulatory
  • clerestory
  • choir
  • stringcourse
  • gargoyles
  • lux nova
  • pinnacle
  • crocket
  • oculus
  • vault webbing
  • fan vaulting
  • quatrefoil/trefoils
  • Cult of the Virgin
  • Portal
  • Rayonnant style
  • Flamboyant style
  • Perpendicular style

Additional Resources

Crossword Puzzle
* YouTube video: Gothic vs. Romanesque
* Website: All about St. Denis, France. Definitely worth checking out!* Incredible Tombs of St. Denis
 * Website: Visit the official website for the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris. Great info on different decorative features and architecture.
* Website: Talk about a thorough explanation of the Chartres Cathedral and Cathedrals in general!
* NOVA's Gothic Cathedrals: How did they build them?
* YouTube video link: UNESCO Chartres Cathedral Stained glass windows
* YouTube video: UNESCO Amiens Cathedral
* Newly launched website: Mapping Gothic France!
* Cult of the Virgin Thematic Essay
SmartHistory for more information and lots more videos on Gothic Architecture

Vocabulary

Apocalypse
chevet
choir
close
compound pier
flying buttress
Haggadah
Lacet
Moralized Bible
ogee arch
Passover
pieta
pinnacle
portal
rib vault
rose window
spire
​tracery (bar and plate)

Artworks List

Chartres Cathedral
   -Royal Portal
   -Stained glass windows
Westminster Hall
Rotten Pieta
Moralized Bible
​Golden Haggadah

Notecard Images

Copyright © 2020 A Vallecorsa
  • HOME
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    • Useful Links
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    • CALLS FOR ENTRY
    • BIKE TO SCHOOL DAY
  • CONTACT