Gothic Video

Check out this YouTube video to learn a little more about Gothic architecture and see some examples of the beautiful buildings from the period.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t8g1e-JLrhM

Gothic Period

A huge component of Gothic architecture is the arches that were developed during that time. They are pointed arches with meaning that the height is not dependent on the width of the archway, unlike the Romanesque arches. During this time, the architects realized what an element of design the arches really are and emphasizes the vertical plane more than the horizontal one. Not only were they used as architectural features, they also served to hold up the walls and support the structure of the buildings.





One of the most famous buildings from this period is the Cathedral of Notre Dame de Paris. The upward expression of the cathedral shows the importance of the vertical plane and is highlighted by the towers, pointed arches, and spires. Not only that but along the horizontal axis, the facade is divided and the further the section is from the middle, the more narrow it is adding to the impression of height. Even the interior of the cathedral is built to establish a sense of height and light. They developed a four-story interior and eliminated space that was used for the clerestory which lets light into the main part of the church. Because of this, despite all of the glass and light incorporated into the design, the Notre Dame, like many other Gothic cathedrals, is actually quite dark.



Another key feature to the Gothic architecture was the flying buttresses. They started as a way to hold up leaning walls but evolved into an architectural feature that became the first step in separating the walls from the actual structure.These flying buttresses were a huge part of the architecture from this time and can still be seen in modern design today.

           

By making the profile of the buttresses as small as possible, more room able to be devoted to glass. Due to this, tracery was developed as a new way to define a space. With the availability of more wall space devoted to windows, architects needed a way to create large spans of glass. The tracery made of stone or metal, was a way to hold the glass in place. In order to emphasize the pattern that was created, the tracery was made as delicate as possible. Tracery was the beginning of modern mullion and glass-to-glass connections.

           

                                                                           

Other Blog Discussions

I looked at Emily P. and Flor's blogs today. Emily had really good details about the mosques and architecture from the Islamic period. She also included really good pictures of the design elements incorporated into design today. In Flor's blog about Pompeii, she talked not only about the four types of art they had but she also talked about what actually happened to Pompeii and a little of its history which I thought was interesting.

Islamic Design

Islamic design and architecture is breathtaking and beautiful. The detail in the construction as well as in the art and tile work is almost unbelievable. They incorporated bold and vibrant colors in their art and very intricate patterns and designs. Also, incorporated into their tile work was a variety of precious metals ad stones inlayed into the marble that they worked with.
















Not only did we get amazing tile work, we also got the horseshoe arch and muqarnas domes. All of these elements can still be seen today in construction and design. Unlike the arches used in design from previous periods, the arch used during this period resembled a horseshoe, just like the name suggests.
















Islamic design made a huge impact on the history of design and as trends come and go, Islamic characteristics can still be seen today. As trends go, the intricate tile patterns and bold colors are making a come back and can frequently be seen in new designs.

Romanesque

During the Romanesque period there was a great religious movement. At one point, there was over 1,500 churches built in just 100 years! The churches from this time period fit into one of three categories. There were urban pilgrimage sites, rural monasteries, and small parish churches. They all follow the basilica form but there were a lot of additions to the churches. Some of these additions include transepts, side aisles, an ambulatory.

The monasteries were important due to their economic, religious, political, and cultural contributions. One of the famous monasteries from this time is Cluny Abbey. It was built at the beginning of the Benedictine movement which is responsible for spreading Romanesque art.

A good example of a Romanesque city is Aigues-Mortes located in southern France. Each city during this time became its own stronghold. The town, although laid out on a grid pattern, seemed to lack any logic and included narrow and winding streets that had unexpected dead-ends and many curves. Strangers were confused by the layout but natives found it charming and intimate. 

Some things that we incorporate into design today from this period include semicircular arches, vaulting, and richly painted walls. The chest was really important to the people during this time and served many different purposes. Because of the meager amount of furniture people had, chests were popular due to the fact that it had multiple uses. It was used for storage, traveling, sitting, eating, and even sleeping on.

 

Other Blog Discussions

Today I reviewed Desiree and Emily N.'s blogs. Desiree did a good job including information that she learned from outside of class and relating it to the time period. Emily included a lot of really good pictures from both the time period and the modern period. She did really well at relating modern architecture, furniture, and design back to the time period she was talking about. Both blogs were really fun to read and look at.

Byzantine Empire

During his rule over the Byzantine empire, Constantine moved the capital to his city Constantinople and made it a rich center for art. Artists of this time period turned away from the typical Roman artistic practices like having statues. Their art became evocative and rich and is focused on Christ.

The Byzantine period had three phases of art that related to the political structure of the empire and how far it reached geographically. The first phase, because the borders reflected those of the Roman Empire, the art reflected the Roman art. At the same time though, it also had Christian values in it. The second stage of Byzantine art has a strong Islamic influence. It was a more medieval, coherent, and strongly Christian. Ivory and enamel were very apparent in the furniture and other precious objects. The last stage of the art reflects the fact that the Constantinople was the spiritual center of the empire that had started to diminish and held only a limited amount of Greek territories.

We can still see Byzantine art reflected in today's society in painting and other art in Churches and other places of worship. The art from this time greatly reflected the rising popularity of Christianity. The influence of focusing art of religion is still very prevalent today. 

Believe it or not, it can even inspire the changing fashion trends that we have!!!!

Pompeii

One of the many amazing things that we were able to learn from the ruins left behind in Pompeii was the four different styles of painting that the Romans had. The first was when they made the painted stucco to mimic other materials such as marble or other stones. This style was referred to as "Trompe l'oeil" or "trick of the eye."  The first style was popular from 300-100 B.C.E.

The second style, from 100-20 B.C.E, mimicked architecture and buildings. It included columns, arches, entablatures. The most popular color that was used was referred to as "Pompeian Red."

The third style, which was popular from 20-50 C.E., shows more architecture but most of it was unbuildable. This style also includes landscapes. Because of Augustus' attempt to transform Rome into the capital he believed it could be, the third style relates to both him and his successor Tiberius.

The fourth and final style of painting corresponds to the reign of Claudius (40-79 C.E.). They were large scenes and panoramic views and included lots of figures and movement as well as luxurious details and ornamentation.  

Other Blog Discussions

Today I looked at Chanel and Dana's blogs. Chanel had a lot of great pictures that showed how influential the Egyptians were on post and beam construction. Dana made a lot of good points about how much religion impacted architecture during the Early Christian period. Both were really interesting to read.