High Gothic Cathedrals in France
Richard I of England died unexpectedly in 1199French king Phillip II conquered Normandy and Anjou starting in 1204
Prestige of the French crown grows as of 1200
1154
1200
I. The problematic classification “High Gothic.” Wilson’s view vs. that of others.
Chartres, 1194-1221 Bourges, 1195-1255 Reims, 1211-41&
Amiens, 1220-30
The Five Major High Gothic Cathedrals
Beauvais, 1227-69
I. Classification “High Gothic” - Why aren’t the Rayonnant cathedrals the “high” point?
Chartres, 1194-1221 Bourges, 1195-1255
Reims, 1211-41 Amiens, 1220-30
The Five Major High Gothic Cathedrals
Beauvais, 1227-69
Rayonnant Cathedrals
St.-Denis’s nave 1230-50, Paris Strasbourg, 1240-77
Cologne, Germany 1248-1322
Nôtre-Dame’s transepts, 1245-60
High Gothic: Reims, Amiens, and Beauvais, begun between 1210 and 1225
modernist privileging of “primitive” over “classic” phases of art
Reims Cathedral Amiens Cathedral Beauvais Cathedral
I. Classification “High Gothic” - Why aren’t the Rayonnant cathedrals the “high” point?
High Gothic attributes according to Wilson
Chartres Cathedral Bourges Cathedral
I. Problematic “High Gothic” - why not consider it a transitional phase between Early Gothic and the real high point (Rayonnant)?
Chartres, 1194-1221 Bourges, 1195-1255 Reims, 1211-41&
Amiens, 1220-30
The Five Major High Gothic Cathedrals
Beauvais, 1227-69
High Gothic attributes: light, height, and spatial unity (Jean Bony)
High GothicChartres Cathedral, 1194-1220
Early GothicLaon Cathedral, 1150s-1205
Gallery omitted
Triforium as intermediary
Clerestory extends below the springing of the vaults.
I. Problematic “High Gothic”
High Gothic attributes: light, height, and spatial unity (Jean Bony)
High GothicChartres Cathedral, 1194-1220
Gallery omitted
Triforium as intermediary
Clerestory extends below the springing of the vaults.
Laon Chartres
I. Problematic “High Gothic”
High Gothic attributes: light, height, and spatial unity (Jean Bony)I. Problematic “High Gothic”
Beauvais Cathedralbegun 1227
nave height 147'
Heights of clerestory windowsin Early to High Gothic nave elevations
12th-13th century
I. Problematic “High Gothic” High Gothic attributes: light, height, and spatial unity (Jean Bony)
Amiens Cathedral
Chartres Cathedral, 1194-1220
It’s about the windows (Wilson). Reworking of everything to emphasize the clerestory’s dominance
I. Problematic “High Gothic” High Gothic attributes: most important is light (Wilson)
Chartres Cathedral (Nôtre-Dame), Chartres, France, 1194-1221
II. How do all High Gothic churches seem to strive toward greater spatial unity, greater height, and greater illumination but in slightly different ways?
Bourges Cathedral (St.-Étienne), Bourges, France, 1195-1255
Chartres Cathedral Bourges Cathedral
1. How does the exterior massing contribute to a unified appearance?
Chartres Cathedral Bourges Cathedral5-aisle basilica
Early Gothic churches High Gothic cathedrals
Laon
Notre-Dam
2. How does the High Gothic plan contribute to spatial unity?
3. How does pointed arch allow for greater spatial unity?
quadripartite rib vaults (Chartres) quadripartite rib vaults (Chartres)
sexpartite rib vaults (Bourges)sexpartite rib vaults (Bourges)
3. How does pointed arch allow for greater spatial unity?
4. How do three structural features combine to make a soaring, luminous Gothic space?
Bourges Cathedral
rib vaults
walls can be thin or simply glazed
windows can be wider
Bourges Cathedral
4. How do three structural features combine to make a soaring, luminous Gothic space?
1 : 1
pier-to-pier windows
Flying buttresses allow for longer windows
4. How do three structural features combine to make a soaring, luminous Gothic space?
Chartres Cathedral, south flank
tribune gallery supports nave vault
no tribune gallery +high clerestorey ↓ flying buttresses
4. How do three structural features combine to make a soaring, luminous Gothic space?
Chartres Cathedral
4. How do three structural features combine to make a soaring, luminous Gothic space?
Chartres Cathedral
4. How do three structural features combine to make a soaring, luminous Gothic space?
Chartres Cathedral
113'
4. How do three structural features combine to make a soaring, luminous Gothic space?
High GothicChartres Cathedral, 1194-1220
Early GothicLaon Cathedral, 1150s-1205
4. How do three structural features combine to make a soaring, luminous Gothic space?
4. How do three structural features combine to make a soaring, luminous Gothic space?
Light enters through full length of long and wide clerestory windows.
early Gothic high Gothic
larger clerestory windows also made possible by eliminating the gallery
triforium
5. Design of the High Gothic nave elevation
The triforium enlivens the dead zone where the pent roof is Pent roof protects aisle vaults
Chartres Cathedral
5. Design of the High Gothic nave elevation
Chartres Cathedral
1 : 1
5. Design of the High Gothic nave elevation
Bourges Cathedral
nave clerestory
nave triforium
nave arcade
aisle clerestory
aisle triforium
aisle arcade
5. Design of the High Gothic nave elevation
Bourges Cathedral
5. Design of the High Gothic nave elevation
Chartres Cathedral
pilier cantonné
Bourges Cathedral, 1190s
High Gothic“Lancet Gothic”
1190-1230Rayonnant Gothic
1230-1350Flamboyant Gothic
1350-1500
19th-century classification system based on the form of window tracery
Rayonnant Style: Pinnacle of French Gothic or Sign of Imminent Decadence?
Rayonnant (French for radiating, refers to the spokes of the rose window)
Rayonnant Style: Gothic Paradigm or Sign of Imminent Decadence?
High Gothic1190-1230
Rayonnant Gothic1230-1350
Wilson: Rayonnant Style is the French Gothic Paradigm
Early Gothic1140-90
Wilson: Rayonnant Gothic in France begins with St.-Denis in 1230s
choir 1140-44
old upper stories of choir
new upper stories of choiras redesigned in 1231façade 1130s
as completed in 1150s(hypothetical)
upper part of choir b. in 1231
enhanced tracery (graduated bar tracery)
glazed triforium
Detail of bar tracery on Ste.-Chapelle, Paris
Wilson: Rayonnant Gothic in France begins with St.-Denis in 1230s
St.-Denis, upper choir begun in1231 and the other bays of the nave in 1250
façade 1200-1445 south transept 1258-60
Rayonnant style at Nôtre-Dame
Nôtre-Dame – south transept
designed in 1258-60 by Jean de Chelles
Squaring the rose
Rim of rose is just another tracery bar
Rose linked to the square by traceried spandrels
Spandrels
two-light windows as petals of rose
Nôtre-Dame – north transept rose window
Strasbourg Cathedral, nave 1240-45 west façade b. 1277
Strasbourg Cathedral, nave 1240-45 west façade b. 1277
Late Romanesque choir and transept, 1220s
Strasbourg CathedralReims Cathedral, France
Strasbourg’s width is 36 m (118’), while Reims’ is 30 m (98’)Strasbourg’s height is 38 m. (125’), whereas Reims’ is 32 m. (105’).
Strasbourg Cathedral, west façade b. 1277
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