Gothic Art

- fire in 1194 forced reconstruction of everything except facade

- dedicated to Mary (Marian shrine)

- Mary's tunic worn at Jesus's birth most sacred relic; escaped fire and seen as signal to rebuild; believed to have healing powers

- right spire from 1160; left conceived in different style: more elaborate and decorative

- importance of church reflected in speed of construction

- enlarged chevet accommodated elaborate church ceremonies

- tall vertical nature pulls eyes to ceiling and symbolically heaven

-dark, mysterious interior increase spiritual feelings

- stained glass enlivens interior surfaces

- labyrinth-like nave; facilitates circumambulation of pilgrims

Chartres Cathedral

- Royal because jamb sculptures depict kings and queens from Old Testament; connection made between French and Biblical royalty

- used by church hierarchy, no commoners

- 19/24 statues survive

- jamb statues stand in front of wall, almost fully rounded

- upright, rigid, elongated figures reflect vertical columns behind and vertical nature of cathedral itself

- rich courtly dress w/ vertical folds

- robes almost hypnotic: concentric composition

- heads: serenity; slightly heavy eyes; benevolent; humanized faces

- heads lined up, but feet of different lengths

- central tympanum: Christ as Judge of the World

- three portals linked by lintels and 24 capitals that contain life of Christ

Royal Portals

- used for private devotion

- Christ emaciated, drained of all blood, tissue, muscle; body distorted, stunted, stiff

- horror of Crucifixion manifest

- humanizing religious themes

- grape-like drops of blood reference to Christ as "mystical vineyard"

- Mary's face in expression of unbearable grief

Röttgen Pietà

- Mary crowned as Queen of Heaven w/ Christ CHild in lap

- light as manifestation of divine; shades color patterns across grey stone of cathedral

- part of lancet window

- undamaged by fire of 194; reset w/ framing angles on either side of main scene

- bands across surface typical of early Gothic stained glass

Notre Dame de la Belle Verrière

- eight medallions, format derives from stained glass windows

- two vertical columns of four painted scenes

- each scene w/ summary text of event depicted in roundel

Scenes from the Apocalypse

- moralized bible

- top left: Blanche of Castile, mother and regent to king

- top right: teenage King Louis IX

- Louis and mother on thrones; oversized heads, emphasizing importance; framed by cityscapes; mom instructing (higher status)

- bottom: older monk dictates to younger scribe; scribe outlining roundels seen on Scenes from the Apocalypse

- luminosity of stained glass windows, strong black outlining of forms

- modeling minimal

Blanche of Castile and Louis IX

- illustrates story of Jewish exodus from Egypt under Moses and subsequent celebration

- to be read at a Passover seder

- fulfills Jewish requirement to tell story of Jews' escape from Egypt as reminder of God's mercy

- carrative cycle of events form Books of Genesis and Exodus

- this one used primarily at home; avoids more stringent restriction against holy images in a synagogue

- generally most lavishly painted of Jewish manuscripts

- two unknown artist (probably Christina); illustrated; Jewish scribe wrote Hebrew script

- style similarities to French Gothic manuscripts: handling of space, architecture, figure style, facial/gestural expression, medium

- painted in Barcelona area of Spain

- 56 miniatures using gold leaf background

- read right ot left according to manner of hebrew texts

Golden Haggadah