Gothic
Art Fortune | Gothic
The Gothic period, born out of the Romanesque, dominated European art from about 1100- 1450, up until the Renaissance. Thought this art style produced artwork in several mediums such as sculpture, painting, stained glass, and illuminated manuscript, it is most well known for its remarkable feats of engineering.
During the Romanesque period, architecture was very blocky in design, and buildings therefore were very heavy and dark. The Gothic period however ushered in several new architectural techniques that included groin faulting, flying buttresses, and pointed arches. These new developments allowed architects to not only construct buildings that were much wider, but more impressively, even taller. Gothic churches, abbeys, and cathedrals can stand around over 100 feet tall. The tallest Gothic nave, found at Beauvais Cathedral reaches an astounding 160 feet. Also with these new innovations came the widespread use of stained glass. Now that structures did not require as many weight-bearing walls to support the building, windows could be added in large quantities. 6,456 square feet of stained glass dominate the walls of Sainte Chapelle, located in France.
Architectural sculpture was also in high demand during this time because of sheer amount of architecture that was being built. Like architectural developments, sculpture technique also progressed significantly during this era. Figures became more rounded and naturalistic, and subtle details, such as the folds in clothing, or individual features made the pieces all the more naturalistic. The naturalistic developments paved by Gothic artists would have a profound influence on the artists of the Renaissance who would later perfect the art.
 
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