Los Angeles: Gothic Revival Architecture list of places

Table Of Content

• The Pointed Arch and Middle Eastern Architecture
• St. Stephen’s Cathedral – Vienna, Austria
• Artworks and Artists of Gothic Art and Architecture
• Decorative elements
• Building Types of Gothic Architecture
• Gargoyles Guard and Protect the Cathedrals
• Cameo Incrustation: The Art of Porcelain and Glass through Time

Secular images were also created, as the Basilica of St. Denis had the signs of the zodiac carved into the sides of the left portal and scenes depicting the agricultural labors of the month on the right. Most noted were the various column statues, depicting Old Testament Kings and Prophets on the portal columns. City-states and feudal kingdoms dotted Europe, and the power of the Catholic church continued to grow during the Gothic era. The monks and theologians ushered in a new Humanism that sought to reconcile Platonic ideals and Church theology. The humanism at this time saw man as part of a complex hierarchy, divinely ordered by God whose ultimate nature surpassed reason. Gothic design has left an indelible mark on the world of art and architecture, influencing various movements and continuing to inspire designers today.

The Pointed Arch and Middle Eastern Architecture

Gothic architecture was named for the Goths, a nomadic Germanic group that fought against Roman rule in the late 300s and early 400s. Their ascent is widely believed to have marked the beginning of the medieval period across Europe. Once the Goths held power, after the collapse of the Roman Empire and the creation of the new Holy Roman Empire from the 5th to 8th centuries. Although this group was not known for their architectural feats, the name “Gothic” was applied to the style of churches that emerged after the fact, nearly 1,000 years later.

St. Stephen’s Cathedral – Vienna, Austria

Architects employed pointed arches, ribbed vaults, and flying buttresses, allowing thinner, higher walls with larger windows. Facades and floor plans were designed with symbolic proportions based on squares and triangles. Symmetrical arrangements of towers, spires, arches, and tracery established rhythmic vertical accents.

Artworks and Artists of Gothic Art and Architecture

The architect of the abbey would state that he had been inspired by the style after seeing it in the baths in Rome. Many of the statues at Notre-Dame, particularly the grotesques, were removed from the façade in the 17th and 18th century, or were destroyed during the French Revolution. They were replaced with figures in the Gothic style, designed by Eugène Viollet-le-Duc during the 19th-century restoration.[113] Similar figures appear on the other major Gothic churches of France and England. In it, she charts the influence of structures such as the 7th century Al Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem, also known as the Dome of the Rock (and recently the site of crackdowns against Palestinian protesters by the Israeli military).

The most iconic room within the Silk Exchange is the Sala de Contratacion, or “The Contract Hall.” The twisting spiralized columns are a marvel of masonry sculpture. They are thin and elegant but still manage to take the immense weight of the vaulted stone ceiling above. Canterbury Cathedral is one of the most important religious sites in all of England. The church was built and modified over the course of history, starting off as a small chapel in the 6th century.

Building Types of Gothic Architecture

Where previous figures in sculpture and painting had appeared stiff and stylised in form, Gothic figures appear more realistic, with natural poses and gestures, full of tender feeling and strong emotion. Figures in Gothic art often curve or sway in an 'S' shape, the pose enhanced by the hanging folds of their clothes. These artists understood that viewers were more likely to understand and identify with the stories in a work of art when the figures expressed human emotion. The conversion implied compromises since Latin churches are oriented towards the east and mosques are oriented towards Mecca.

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Gargoyles Guard and Protect the Cathedrals

Ribbed vaulting is another art form during the Gothic period because the pointed arch results involved barrel vaults-arches placed parallel to one another and supported the rounded roof. As a result of the force distribution within the vaulting ceilings, the vaults could be constructed in different sizes and shapes. It was mostly completed by 1260 after flying buttresses were added to support the weight of the roof.

The exteriors of Gothic buildings were often decorated with sculptures of apostles and saints. However, another regular feature of Gothic architecture is the grotesques or monsters such as the chimera and the Strix, both mythological beasts. Being one of the last elements to be built during the construction of a Gothic Church, they would often end up being built in a different style due to the long period of time it took to build the rest of the structure. In early Gothic architecture, the capitals had been inspired by the Corinthian order columns of ancient Rome, along with the finely sculpted leaves.

The stained glass at Chartres was made by some of the finest craftsmen of the middle ages. Thousands of precisely cut pieces of glass were combined to create images of saints and stories from the Bible. One of the most striking elements of the building is the highly decorated front facade.

Gothic sculpture became more naturalistic and expressive, breaking away from the rigid forms of the Romanesque period. Stained glass art flourished, telling biblical stories and illuminating churches with divine light. Tapestries and illuminated manuscripts were rich in detail and color, reflecting the intricate patterns and themes characteristic of the Gothic aesthetic. Gothic architects wished to fill interior spaces with light by using glass-stained windows. However, large panels of glass would not be able to hold much weight and would easily break. By dividing windows into smaller sections using stone ribs or bars of molding, large sections of a wall could contain glass while still maintaining structural integrity.

Gothic motifs found their way into furniture and textile designs, with characteristic features like pointed arches, tracery, and ornate detailing. These elements added a sense of grandeur and historical depth to interior spaces, influencing design trends well into modern times. The Amiens Cathedral is situated in Amiens on a ridge overlooking the Somme River. Construction on the cathedral began in 1220 and was completed around 1270, which for a Gothic church is a very short time.

The new structural systems facilitated more complex, intricate building plans like those of the radiating chapels of French Rayonnant Gothic cathedrals. The pointed arch was borrowed from Islamic architecture and influenced rib vaulting. The Basilica of Saint-Denis, renovated in the mid-12th century, pioneered these elements.