 |
| Basilica of Saint-Denis |
In class,
we have been discussing the change in architectural design for churches and
cathedrals. The biggest change is from Italy's Romanesque to Europe's'
Gothic. The earliest example of this is the Basilica of
Saint-Denis. "The Gothic
architectural style first appeared at
Saint-Denis, near Paris, in 1140, and within a century had revolutionized
cathedral design throughout Western Europe" ("Gothic Architecture
(c.1120-1500)"). In the Romanesque style it focused on rounded ceilings,
thick walls, and small windows. This created dim interiors with beautiful
domes but would be changed by northern Europeans for their new Gothic
architecture. 
Gothic architecture would be
defined by a number of things. But Valerie Spanswick, a writer for Khan Academy,
would say "The most fundamental element of the Gothic style of
architecture is the pointed arch, which was likely borrowed from Islamic architecture that
would have been seen in Spain at the time. The pointed arch relieved some of
the thrust, and therefore, the stress on other structural elements"
(Spanswick). This meant that the walls and columns could be
made thinner and larger windows could be installed. "The original
Gothic style was actually developed to bring sunshine into people's lives, and
especially into their churches" (Spanswick). it is because of this
style that stain glass windows became such a popular form of art.
"Gothic Architecture (c.1120-1500)." Gothic Architecture: Characteristics, History, http://www.visual-arts-cork.com/history-of-art/gothic-architecture.htm#chararcteristics.
Spanswick, Valerie. "Gothic Architecture: an Introduction." Khan Academy, Khan Academy, https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/medieval-world/gothic1/a/gothic-architecture-an-introduction.
This church might not be the biggest but i love the simplicity of it. I think it's beautiful.
ReplyDeleteThis was a nice post. I love the rose window and the shades of blue in it, it's just a lot lighter and not as dark as the reds and purples. I like how this is the basilica of St.Denis since today in class it was mentioned the monastery of St.Denis was where Abelard was.
ReplyDelete5 star observation!!!
DeleteThis was a great post, Cody! I have been really interested in gothic architecture since we studied it in class. I like how you pointed out that the pointed arches helped lead to thinner walls and columns, which led to larger windows. It is interesting how everything in architecture works together.
ReplyDeleteThe biggest goal of Gothic architecture was to bring more light in to buildings. Because they found a new way to make stronger walls they could then put more structural weaknesses into it to make bigger and more windows.
DeleteI agree with your point that the pointed arches are a staple point of Gothic Architecture. I believe this new advancement combines creativity and intellect; the arches support structures in a way not seen before, and add a touch of unique beauty to a building.
ReplyDeleteThis is a great post relating to our class topic of the transition into Gothic architecture. The structural facts in this post really taught me a lot about how these cathedrals were able to make room for the stained glass windows that Gothic cathedrals were known for. I wonder how the public initially reacted to the changes that the Basilica of Saint Denis presented?
ReplyDelete