THE BEGINNINGS OF WESTERN CIVILIZATION-HUMAN 030

Roman Vs. Gothic Cathedrals

As the Gothic and the Romanesque architectural styles tend to have certain similarities, they also have many differences, and according to me I prefer the Gothic style. According to the 17th century Neoclassicist the term Gothic is describes as the “rude and barbarous” which was the architectural style that followed the Romanesque, (p.157). This architectural style was developed by the Gothic architects in a way that it commanded a majestic expression as the cathedrals were soar upwards to the heavens. An example is the Chartres Cathedral in France which was constructed as a town effort in terms of funding and labor provision by the local citizens.

One of the characteristics of a Chartres Gothic cathedral interior is the stained glass of its windows which is believed to filter the light of divine truth. This was because according to the medieval people, symbolically light represented Jesus as he had proclaimed to his apostles. Therefor light passing through the stained glass “signified the sublime knowledge that accompanied the progressive purification of the ascending human spirit”, (p.160). Another characteristic of the Gothic cathedral interior is the painted altarpieces. They are in chapels dedicated to the Virgin or a saint. In most cases they display the scenes of the life of Jesus and that of the Virgin while others depict a saint or martyr, (p.165). The presences of sculpture also characterize the interior of a Gothic cathedral as they appear on its “portals, capitals, and choir screens”, (p.158)

The Chartres Cathedral Gothic cathedral is tall and pointed towards the sky and was large enough such that it could hold the population of the entire town thus physically dominating the place. It’s exterior is characterized by “the flying buttresses, stone crockets, and ornamental details”, (p.161). It also has curved gargoyles which had a symbolic meaning to the medieval people, however others were curved to function as downspout so as to drain rain water.

Work Cited

Fiero, Gloria K. Landmarks in humanities. McGraw-Hill Higher Education, 2013.

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