Gothic Art: French Gothic

  • Scholasticism: the system of theology and philosophy taught in medieval European universities, based on Aristotelian logic

  • Peter Abelard: medieval French scholastic philosopher, leading logician, theologian, poet, composer and musician

  • Status of women elevating

  • Age of Chivalry

    Architecture

  • St. Denis, Basilica, 1140-1144

    • Primary church of France
    • Choir: Abbott Suger
    • Build from east to west
    • St. Denis East: Altar surrounded by ambulatory
    • Window space permeating into interior
    • St. Denis’s support system: rib vaults with pointed arches, more engineered feel
    • Lancet Windows: pointed arch, long and elegant
    • Stained glass windows: to moralize and educate

  • Laon, Cathedral, 1160-1205

    • east end added later
    • 6 part bay
    • alternate support system
    • Triforium: add an additional zone of activity, to break up the walls
    • Early gothic low to high: nave arcade, gallery, triforium, clerestory

  • Notre Dame, Paris, 1163-1205

    • stained glass, somber interior
    • Notre Dame height: 107 ft.

  • Chartres, Cathedral, 1194-1220

    • West Façade only remaining portion of original building before it burnt down
    • 4 part vault
    • Chartres interior format: kept triforium, ditched gallery, 118 ft.
    • Flying Buttresses: to support taller buildings so they don’t collapse

  • Amiens, Cathedral, Robert de Luzarches, 1220-1288

    • 3 part wall elevation
    • first completed High gothic architecture

  • Beauvais, Cathedral, 1227-1284

    • 3 part wall elevation
    • 157 ft. but collapsed then rebuilt except for nave
    • transverse rib between each bay

  • Saint Chapelle, Paris, 1243-1248

    • constructed by King Louis IX
    • 75% of interior covered by stained glass
    • interior also painted
    • Color filled to illustrate glory of God