Development and Character of Gothic Architecture/Contents

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Development and Character of Gothic Architecture
by Charles Herbert Moore

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2606957Development and Character of Gothic Architecture — ContentsCharles Herbert Moore

Incorrect ideas respecting Gothic architecture—Aversion to the pointed style first arose in Italy—This style naturally unsuited to Italian tastes and traditions—Gothic art an outgrowth—The genius of the north modified by that of the south—The abandonment of Gothic architecture coincident with the growth of artificial conditions of society—The architecture of the Renaissance not a popular architecture—Awakening of an antiquarian interest in the pointed styles—Growth of a spirit of investigation English and continental misconceptions of Gothic—Architectural styles distinguished primarily by structural characteristics—The Gothic an organic system—Its evolution out of the Romanesque—The Roman constructive system Early Romanesque developments—The constructive advantages of the pointed arch—The flying buttress—Summary of the structural characteristics of Gothic—The system developed in three-aisled buildings—Rudeness not a characteristic of Gothic art—Painting and stained glass—Living character of Gothic sculpture—Antique elements of Gothic ornamentation—Conventional character of Gothic ornament—Organic treatment of constituent elements in Gothic ornament—Architectural fitness of Gothic sculpture Gothic art of short duration—The cathedral edifice the central object of popular interest—The monastic activities in building—The Gothic style developed by the laity—Gothic architecture mainly an architecture of churches—Sources of inspiration Gothic art native to France Pages 1-31

CHAPTER II

Gothic Construction in France

Region of the early Gothic movement—Existing buildings the only sources of information—First manifestations of new principles—The vaults of Morienval—Early vaulting of St. Denis—Senlis and Noyon—Vaulting of the Abbaye-aux-Hommes—Constructive system of San Michele of Pavia—Its influence on Norman building Relation of piers to vaults in the Cathedral of Senlis—Quadripartite system of the Cathedral of Noyon—Buttress system of Noyon—Structural progress exhibited in the Cathedral of Paris—Vaulting systems of the choir and nave of Paris Vaulting systems of Mantes, Laon, Bourges, Sens, and Dijon—Local differences of constructive detail, and mutual influences of various provinces—Developments of the thirteenth century—Modifications of the lower pier consequent upon new adjustments of the abacus to its load—Vaulting systems of the advanced Gothic—Structural reason of the twisted surfaces of Gothic vaulting—Vaulting systems of Chartres, Reims, Amiens, and St. Denis—Buttress systems of St. Martin at Laon, St. Leu d'Esserent, Noyon, Soissons, Chartres, Amiens, and Reims—Evolution of the pinnacle—Modes of enclosure—Development of the clerestory opening in the Cathedral of Paris—Development of tracery—Screening of the triforium in French churches—Development of the Gothic apse—Mode of vaulting the apsidal aisles—Chapels of the apse—Characteristics of the French transept—Development of the west façade—Development of the spire—General aspect of the Gothic edifice—General and spontaneous character of the Gothic movement in France Pages 32-123

CHAPTER III

Pointed Construction in England

Rare occurrence of the pointed arch and of groin ribs in England before the last quarter of the twelfth century—Approach to Gothic principles in the vaults of Malmesbury Abbey—Little approach to Gothic in the buildings immediately following Malmesbury—Structural system of Fountains Abbey—Structural system of Kirkstall Abbey—No important advance takes place in England till after the building of the choir of Canterbury—Structural system of Canterbury—Structural system of Chichester—Structural system of the choir of Lincoln—St. Mary's, New Shoreham—Byland and Whitby—The choir of Ripon—Lack of unity of principle in the early pointed architecture of England—Lack of Gothic principles in the later pointed buildings of England—Multiplication of ribs in later English vaulting—Buttress system and clerestory of Lincoln—Structural system of Salisbury—Structural system of Wells—Structural system of the Abbaye-aux-Dames—The Presbytery of Lincoln—The Cathedral of Lichfield—Modes of enclosure—Characteristics of the east end—Characteristics of transept ends—Characteristics of the west front—Towers and spires—Structural features of the chapter-house—Vaulting of rare occurrence in the smaller churches of England 124-169

CHAPTER IV

Pointed Construction in Germany, Italy, and Spain

Slowness of Germany to adopt the new principles of building—The Cathedral of Speyer an almost unmodified Romanesque structure—The Cathedral of Bamberg hardly changed in principle—Gothic characteristics in the vaulting of Magdeburg—Nearer approach to Gothic in the Cathedral of Limburg on the Lahn—Its likeness to Noyon—Freiburg and Strasburg—The Kreuzkirche at Breslau—Cologne Cathedral completely Gothic—But not a German product—Peculiarities of St. Elizabeth at Marburg, St. Sebaldus at Nuremberg, and other buildings of the same class—East ends, transept ends, and western façades—Towers and spires—Slowness of Italy to adopt the pointed style—The monastic orders retain control of building in Italy longer than elsewhere—The church of St. Francis of Assisi—Sta. Maria Novella and Sta. Croce at Florence—The Cathedral of Florence—S. Petronio at Bologna—S. Anastasia at Verona—The church of the Frari at Venice—S. Martino at Lucca—The western façade—East ends and transept ends—Towers and spires—The churches of the twelfth century in Spain—Introduction into Spain of the Gothic of France—Clerestory and buttress system of the Cathedral of Burgos—Burgos, Toledo, and Leon perfectly Gothic in their internal systems Pages 170-199

CHAPTER V

Gothic Profiles in France

Functional development governed by artistic feeling in Gothic profiles—The mechanical function of the capital not consistently recognised by the Roman and Romanesque builders—In France, after the eleventh century, the adjustment of the capital to its load was constant—The thickness of the shaft determined largely by the nature of the material used—The thickness of the abacus varies in proportion to the spread of the capital—Abacus and astragal of one piece with the bell in Gothic capitals—The French abacus usually square in plan—The abacus profile—Finest types of capitals belong to the early period of the Gothic style—Changes in the form of the capital consequent upon changes in the arch section—The Gothic base a modification of the ancient Attic base—Its plinth more developed than in the ancient type—The angle spur—The spread of the base usually increased as the diameter of the shaft is diminished—Diminution of the plinth and change of its form in the later Gothic style—String profiles—Evolution of the drip-moulding—Internal strings—The corbel table not a Gothic feature—Arch mouldings—Change in the arrangement of grouped abaci consequent on change in arch profiles—Evolution of mullion profiles 200-223

CHAPTER VI

Profiles of the Twelfth and Thirteenth Centuries in England and other Countries

Superior character of the profiles of early capitals in England—French design and workmanship in capitals of the choir aisle of Lincoln—Anglo-Norman imitations of French work—The wreathed type of capital—Extravagant ornamentation of the later English capitals—The moulded capital—Profiles of abaci—Profiles of bases—String profiles—Employment of the corbel table in the pointed architecture of England—Arch mouldings—Romanesque types of capitals long retained in Germany—Characteristics of capitals in the German pointed style—Capitals of the choir of Cologne—Base profiles of Cologne—Arch mouldings of Cologne—Profiles of capitals and bases in Italian pointed architecture—Profiles of Italian arch mouldings, vaulting ribs, and string-courses—Nothing of importance to notice in the profiles of Spain Pages 224-246

CHAPTER VII

Gothic Sculpture in France

Development of mediæval sculpture in France antecedent to that of other countries—Sources of instruction open to the sculptors of Western Europe—New life displayed in the art of the schools of Cluny—Exceptional conditions for the growth of art in the Ile-de-France—The early sculptures of St. Denis—The sculptures of St. Trophime at Arles—Refined qualities of the early sculptures of Chartres—The human figure not employed as a caryatid in Gothic architecture—Statues not placed in niches in this architecture—Relationship of sculpture to structural elements in Gothic art—Early reliefs of St. Denis and Paris manifest a new spirit—Qualities of design, execution, and sentiment in the sculptures of the lintel of Senlis—Natural elements common alike to Greek and mediæval sculpture—Superior freedom of the sculpture of the early thirteenth century—Sculptures of the west front of the Cathedral of Paris—Likeness to Greek art noticeable in these sculptures—Points of similarity in the Greek and mediæval genius—The statue of the Virgin in the south portal of Amiens—The statue of the Virgin in the portal of the north transept of Paris—Gothic sculpture the first in which expression predominates over form—Bodily beauty not ignored by the Gothic carvers—Significance of the grotesque element in Gothic art—The artists of the Ile-de-France the first to emancipate foliate sculpture from old conventions—Expression of nature in early foliate carvings—Early motives for ornament derived from the leafage of springtime—Delicacy of hand manifest in Gothic sculpture—Monumental fitness always regarded by the early carvers—Excessive naturalism of the later Gothic carvings—The quality of breadth in Gothic art—The colouring of Gothic sculpture 247-283

CHAPTER VIII

Sculpture of the Twelfth and Thirteenth Centuries in England and other Countries

Rare use of figure sculpture in connection with the pointed architecture of England—Norman sculptures of Lincoln and Ely—Exceptional character of the sculptures of Wells—The sculptures of Wells unrelated to the structural elements—Their naturalistic qualities—Their rudeness of execution—Awkward placing of the interior sculptures of the Presbytery of Lincoln—Lack of artistic gift displayed in Anglo-Norman foliate carving—Artificial character of conventionalised forms in England—Figure sculpture not generally employed as an architectural adjunct in the pointed architecture of Germany—The statues of Cologne are Renaissance rather than mediæval art—Distinctive types of German foliate sculpture—Late development of figure sculpture in Italy—Italian sculpture an individual, rather than a communal product—Italian sculpture not organically related to architecture—Prevalence of surface reliefs—Two elements conspicuous in Italian sculpture—Classic elements of the art of Niccola Pisano imitative rather than spontaneous—Nearer approach to Gothic character in the art of Giovanni Pisano—The influence of nature and expression of beauty in the art of Giovanni Pisano—Little of distinctive importance in the foliate sculpture of Italy—Close imitation of nature a tendency in this sculpture—No important developments in sculpture ever had place in Spain—The carvings of Spanish Gothic copied from the French Pages 284-297

CHAPTER IX

Gothic Painting and Stained Glass in France

Figure painting not much employed in Gothic architecture—The characteristics of the figure painting of the twelfth and thirteenth centuries illustrated in the manuscripts of the time—Little progress in the art of painting was made by the Gothic artists—Chromatic design in Gothic art developed chiefly in the department of stained glass—The inherent limitations of this art—This art not capable of development beyond the conditions that were reached in the Middle Ages—Examples of stained glass in St. Denis, Chartres, and other churches 298-304

CHAPTER X

Painting and Stained Glass in England and other Countries

Nothing different from the painting of France was produced during the twelfth and thirteenth centuries in the other countries of Europe—Earliest development of painting in Italy posterior to the epoch of Gothic art—Technical characteristics of early Italian painting—Its monumental qualities—Its union of pictorial and decorative elements—Its expressional purpose—No peculiar styles of design in stained glass were produced in England, Germany, Italy, or Spain 305-309

CHAPTER XI

Conclusion

The witness of the monuments to the origin of Gothic principles in France borne out by historical considerations—The different and less favourable conditions for the growth of art of England in the Middle Ages—Effects on art of the Norman Conquest—Reaction of the native genius—Slowness of the Germans to modify their Romanesque style—German pointed architecture mainly copied from France—No native development of Gothic in Italy—Lack of constructive character in Italian building—Social and political conditions in Spain unfavourable to development of the arts Pages 310-315

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

fig. page
1. Monolithic Arch and Lintel 6
2. Offset Arch 6
3. Section of a Part of the Flavian Amphitheatre 10
4. Plan of one Bay of the Basilica of Constantine 11
5. Romanesque Pilaster Strip 11
6. Romanesque Buttress 12
7. Section of the Abbaye-aux-Hommes 13
8. Section of the Abbaye-aux-Dames 14
9. Diagram of Round-arched Vault 16
10. Diagram of Pointed-arched Vault 17
11. Diagram of Apsidal Vault of Morienval 34
12. Perspective View of Apsidal Vault of Morienval 35
13. Plan of Apsidal Vault of St. Denis 37
14. Plan of one Bay of S. Michele of Pavia 40
15. Elevation of one Bay of S. Michele of Pavia 41
16. Elevation of one Double Bay of the Abbaye-aux-Hommes 42
17. Section of Main Pier of Senlis 44
18. Elevation of one Double Bay of Senlis 45
19. Section of one Bay of Senlis 46
20. Perspective View of one Double Bay of Senlis 47
21. Section of Pier, Choir of Noyon 49
22. Vaulting System of the Choir of Paris 56
23. Section of Vaulting Shafts of the Nave of Paris 56
24. Vaulting System of the Nave of Paris 57
25. Vaulting System of Laon 58
26. Impost Section of the Choir of Paris 61
27. Impost Section of the Nave of Paris 62
28. Impost Section of the Sixth Pier of the Nave of Paris 63
29. Section of the Sixth Pier of the Nave of Paris 63
30. Section of the Seventh Pier of the Nave of Paris 64

31. Impost Section of the Seventh Pier of the Nave of Paris 64
32. Perspective View of the Seventh Pier of the Nave of Paris 65
33. Section of Pier with Grouped Shafts of Laon 66
34. Imposts of the Choir of Soissons and the Sixth Pier of Paris respectively 67
35. Perspective View of one Bay of the Clerestory of St. Leu d'Esserent 70
36. Section of Vaulting Conoid of St. Leu d'Esserent 71
37. Perspective View of one Bay of the Clerestory of Chartres 73
38. Perspective View of one Bay of the Clerestory of Amiens 75
39. Section of Pier of the Nave of St. Denis 76
40. Flying Buttress of St. Martin of Laon 77
41. Flying Buttress of the Apse of St. Leu d'Esserent 79
42. Flying Buttress of the Nave of St. Leu d'Esserent 80
43. Flying Buttress of the Nave of Noyon 81
44. Flying Buttress of the Nave of Amiens 82
45. Flying Buttress of the Apse of Reims 83
46. Two Bays of the Clerestory of the Nave of Paris 85
46 bis. Clerestory Opening, Nave of Paris, showing Alterations in the Arch 86
47. Clerestory Opening of the Nave of St. Leu d'Esserent 87
48. Aperture of the Apse of Reims 89
49. Plan of the Vault of the Apse of Noyon 93
50. Plan of the Vault of the Apse of Paris 94
51. Plan of the Vault of the Apse of Chartres 96
52. Plan of the Vault of the Apse of Amiens 97
53. Portion of the Interior of the Apse of St. Remi of Reims 98
54. Portion of the Exterior of the Apse of St. Remi of Reims 99
55. Plan of Vaulting of the Apsidal Aisles of Paris 100
56. Interior View of the Apsidal Aisle of St. Leu d'Esserent 101
57. View of the Church of Vaux-sous-Laon 104
58. Façade of the Abbaye-aux-Hommes 105
59. Façade of the Cathedral of Senlis 107
60. Façade of the Cathedral of Paris 109
61. Façade of the Cathedral of Amiens 111
62. Tower of Morienval 113
63. Tower and Spire of Chamant 114
64. Spire of Chartres 115
65. Spire of Senlis 116
66. General View of St. Leu d'Esserent 118
67. General View of the Cathedral of Reims 120
68. Diagram of Aisle Vault of Malmesbury Abbey 124
69. Perspective View of one Bay of Malmesbury Abbey 126

70. Aisle Vault of Fountains Abbey 128
71. Portion of the Interior of the Choir of Canterbury 129
72. One Bay of the Cathedral of Chichester 132
73. Section of Pier, Chichester Cathedral 133
74. Plan of the Original East End of Lincoln Cathedral 135
75. Plan of Vault, Choir of Lincoln Cathedral 136
76. Section of the Choir of Lincoln Cathedral 137
77. Piers at Crossing of Lincoln and Canterbury respectively 138
78. Clerestories of the Abbaye-aux- Dames and the Choir of Lincoln respectively 140
79. Plan of Vault, Nave of Lincoln 144
80. Vaulting Conoid, Nave of Lincoln 145
81. Pier Sections, Nave of Lincoln 145
82. Flying Buttress and Clerestory, Nave of Lincoln 146
83. Vaulting Conoid, Salisbury Cathedral 147
84. Elevation of Clerestory, Salisbury Cathedral 148
85. Interior System of Wells Cathedral 151
86. Interior System of the Abbaye-aux-Dames 152
87. Interior of Clerestory, Presbytery of Lincoln 155
88. Flying Buttress and Clerestory, Presbytery of Lincoln 156
89. Exterior View of the East End of Ely Cathedral 159
90. Exterior View of the East End of Lincoln 161
91. West Façade of Lincoln 163
92. Central Tower of Lincoln 166
93. Elevation of one Bay of the Cathedral of Speyer 171
94. Elevation of one Bay of the Cathedral of Bamberg 172
95. Elevation of one Bay of Limburg on Lahn 174
96. Elevation of one Bay of the Kreuzkirche at Breslau 175
96 bis. Plan of one Bay of the Kreuzkirche at Breslau 176
97. Cross Section of St. Elizabeth at Marburg 177
98. Cross Section of the Cathedral of Poitiers 178
99. Tower and Spire of Breslau 180
100. Tower and Spire of St. Elizabeth at Marburg 180
101. Section through one Bay of Sta. Maria Novella 183
102. Internal System of Sta. Maria Novella 184
103. Section of Pier, Cathedral of Florence 187
104. Internal Pier, Cathedral of Florence 188
105. Façade of the Cathedral of Siena 190
106. Tower and Spire of Sta. Maria Novella 192
107. Tower of the Scaligeri, Verona 193
108. Aisle Windows of Sta. Croce 194
109. Flying Buttress and Clerestory of Burgos Cathedral 197
110. Capital of the Palace of Diocletian 201

111. Capital of the Gallery of Sta. Agnese at Rome 202
112. Capital of the Sanctuary of Senlis 203
113. Capital of the Triforium, Choir of Paris 204
114. Capital of the Triforium, Nave of Paris 205
115. Capital of the Triforium of Laon 206
116. Capital of St. Aignan at Senlis 207
117. Profiles of Early French Mouldings 207
118. Profiles of Abaci 208
119. Capital of Chapel in the Choir of Amiens 209
120. Profile of Base, Nave of Senlis 210
121. Perspective and Profile of Base, Choir of Paris 211
122. Profile of Base, Triforium of Nave of Paris 212
123. Perspective of Base, Triforium of Nave of Paris 212
124. Small Base, Choir of Soissons 213
125. Perspective of Base of West Pier, Nave of Paris 213
126. String Profiles, Nogens-les-Vierges 214
127. String Profiles, St. Evremont, Creil, and Senlis 214
128. Profile of Cornice, Cathedral of Paris 215
129. Profile of Triforium String, Nave of Paris 216
130. Profile of Flat-topped String 216
131. Profiles of Triforium String, Nave of Amiens 217
132. Profiles of Arch Mouldings, Poissy, Morienval, and St. Martin des Champs 218
133. Profiles of Arch Mouldings, St. Denis and Laon 218
134. Profiles of Arch Mouldings, Morienval, St. Denis, Senlis, and Laon 219
135. Profile of Transverse Rib, A psidal Chapel of Senlis 220
136. Rib Sections, Amiens, Beauvais, and Villeneuve 220
137. Plan of Impost, Triforium of Senlis 221
138. Plan of Impost, Nave of Amiens 221
139. Mullion Sections, St. Leu d'Esserent, Reims, and Amiens 222
140. Capital of East Transept, Lincoln 225
141. Capital of Arcade, South Aisle of Choir, Lincoln 226
142. Capital of Arcade, West Transept of Lincoln 227
143. Wreathed Capital, West Transept of Lincoln 229
144. Capital of Arcade, North Choir Screen, Lincoln 230
145. Capital of South Transept, Wells Cathedral 231
146. Moulded Capital, Triforium of Beverley 232
147. Profiles of Abaci, Lincoln, Glastonbury, and Wells 232
148. Profiles of Bases, Lincoln 233
149. Profiles of Bases, Ely, Lincoln, Hexham, and Whitby 233
150. Profiles of Bases, Lincoln and Temple Church 234
151. Base with Angle Spur, Porch of Wells 234
152. String Profiles, Lincoln, Glastonbury, and Wells 235

153. Perspective View of Round Impost, Southwell 236
154. Arch Section, Malmesbury Abbey 237
155. Arch Section, Choir of Lincoln 237
156. Section of Vault Rib, Choir of Lincoln 238
157. Capitals, Cathedral of Magdeburg 240
158. Base, Cathedral of Magdeburg 241
159. Capital of Triforium of Choir, Cologne 241
160. Profile of Base, Cologne Cathedral 242
161. Profile of Arch Moulding, Cologne Cathedral 242
162. Capital of Nave, Sta. Maria Novella 243
163. Profiles of Bases, Sta. Maria Novella, Cathedral of Florence, and Sta. Croce 244
164. Profile of Vault Rib, Cathedral of Florence 246
165. Figures from Greek MS., National Library of Paris 248
166. Figure from Greek MS., National Library of Paris 248
167. Sculpture of Notre-Dame du Port, Clermont-Ferrand 250
168. Statue of St. Trophime, Aries 251
169. Statue of Transept, St. Denis 252
170. Statue of West Front, Chartres 253
171. Sculpture of Lintel, Senlis 256
172. Sculpture of Tympanum, Portal of the Virgin, Paris 260
173. Statue of North Transept, Paris 263
174. Sculpture of the Portal of the Virgin, Paris 267
175. Capital of Sanctuary, Noyon Cathedral 268
176. Capital of the Abbaye-aux-Dames 269
177. Acanthoid Leafage 270
178. Capital of Triforium of Nave, Senlis 271
179. Crockets of Triforium of Nave, Paris 272
180. Capital of the Chapel of the Catechists, Paris 275
181. Sculpture of Archivolt, Paris 276
182. Sculpture of Triforium String, Amiens 277
182 bis. Sculpture of Cornice, Amiens 278
183. Sculpture of String-Course, Noyon 279
184. Sculpture of Archivolt, Porte Rouge, Paris 280
185. Sculpture of West Front, Lincoln 285
186. Statue of West Front, Wells 286
187. Sculpture on Lintel, Transept of Southwell 288
188. Sculpture of Leaf Forms, Lincoln 290
189. Capital of Triforium of Nave, Lincoln 291
190. Design from MS. Life of St. Denis 300
191. Figure from the Jesse Window, Chartres 303

Development and Character of Gothic Architecture/Contents

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