Gothic

Pointed arches and the use of stained glass are few of the focal points of Gothic architecture. The pointed arch makes the eye travel upwards. The Roman arch has a round earth bound quality with a weight comparatively the Gothic architecture has large window openings with a sense of light coming through the building. Both the Roman and Gothic architectural forms have sculptures at eye levels. There is a great deal of sculpture to represent stories from religious texts. The Gothic era is marked by illiteracy thus individuals educated themselves visually.

Furthermore, innovations in engineering and architecture were brought upon by Abbot Suger and Churches competed by creating extraordinary architecture to attract visitors. The church expressed its teachings through architecture. The walls open to allow light in, symbolizing the light of the bible. In a similar manner the soaring arches are interpreted as reaching the heavens.

Flying buttresses opened the walls as exemplified by the apse in St. Denis. The weight of the wall is brought down to the lower part of the wall and the ground. Ribs are the buttresses that holds the walls to be stable. Development of the rose window and use of ribbed vaults can also be seen during this time.

Specifically the interior at St. Denis contains a large high nave with an ample amount of light coming in. There are tall pointed arches and the lancet windows which make use of extensive stain glass window because there are more windows going into the buildings compared to the past. There is a lace-like quality in the floor plans which are made up of small individual modules based on the size of the groin vaults. Modules down the nave and in the aisles with the aid of flying buttresses allow the aisles to extend into another row and get two aisles in the church. The apse grows to include the ambulatory thus one is able to walk behind the altar which is opened by windows. The use of the pointed arch in the groin vaulting allows the ceiling to look higher as the eye is brought up to the central point. The columns are cluster columns, the vertical quality draws the eye up.

The Notre Dame of Paris makes extensive use of the flying buttress to open the walls and increase light into the church. A magnificent rose window sits in the facade and ends of the transept. The lancent window integrates into the facade of the church creating lots of open space and light in the interior.

During the Gothic era there was a building up of fortified cities and thus architecture was not fully explored. The church was the focal point. Walled cities reflect the lifestyle of the Gothic era. Society in general felt unsafe because there was no central government; thus, the sense of security in people was absent and people chose to live in a walled city, paying taxes and following regulations. If one lived outside the walled city, one would be prone to pillagers. Walled cities were characterized by a palace, church, narrow streets and low buildings (2/3 stories high.) The ground floor was for public use and the top floor was for housing. The upper stories of the buildings overhung to provide increased interior space and covered walkways.

Castles had high windows for protection. Interiors were simple and cold due to the stone structure. Wood was not used as anything from wood would burn if the city became under siege. As society became and felt more secure more windows were added. Homes become less fortress-like and more similar to palaces and country homes.

The Great Halls were important domestic places as everything would take place here. Simple furniture was common, a high roof, with a fire located centrally to heat and light the interiors. All smoke would go into the rafters. The Great Hall was utilized for both entertaining and important local meetings; as well, as court. The Solar, was the room set aside from the Great Hall for more intimate meetings. Panelled wood walls and wood floors in the Solar which created a warmer space were a common scene. Furthermore, lancet windows allowed adequate lighting into the alcoves making alcoves a great place for reading or other activity.

At Penshurst Place, windows with tracery are seen in church architecture, stones are cut out to create a lace like quality on the exterior of the building. Thus, capturing one’s visual interest. Furthermore, the towers are kept short, and the building also contains a complete great hall with a mistral porch. The roof is very high, made of wood and lots of light coming in through the lancet windows. Furthermore, the trestle table allows the space to be used in a versatile manner as the top can be removed. Moreover, one end of the Great Hall would have a throne like chair for dining along with important guests.

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Less wealthy families would have had timber houses with thatched roofs. Timbering is when the structure is worked out in wood and all space in between is filled in with rubble and stone plastered over. Wood elements are left visible and covered with preservatives such as tar to prevent the wood from aging. This can become decorative and complex. This style develops and continues into the early Renaissance.

Terracotta was used extensively in Sienna Italy, giving the city a rich red colour. During the Middle Ages and late Gothic era, the population is developing its own organization competing with the church. Guilds are created, decisions are being made about public policy causing decline in the Church’s power. At the Palazzo Pubblico, one can see a mural telling the story of the benefits of a well governed city, reflecting Sienna. Commerce is developed and there is ease of interaction between people and wealth comes through the well governed city. The roofs are flat and there is interest in the use of beams and consequentially the creation of beautiful ceilings. Corbels or supports at the end of the beams are intricately carved or richly painted. Walls divide into three bands with the dado and the central portion and frieze at the top. Thus, interiors are beginning to be presented in a systematic manner.

Gothic architecture has its own development in Venice. Venice is a place of crossroads so enriched by trade with the East but influenced by the rest of Europe. There is an intertwining of Gothic and Eastern traditions. The Doges Palace in Venice Italy has a facade with a series of Gothic arches to create an arcade reflecting lace aesthetics and lace windows. Horizontal bands and pierced lace windows become common. Horizontal bands with open stone work in Gothic arches is used in Venice to provide character to the facade of the building.

FURNITURE

Most people only had essential pieces such as stools, chests and boxes for supporting beds not the actual bed frames. Not much wealth was accumulated, and Society was not stable for the most part. Even the wealthy were nomadic as they had few different residences and had to move from place to place and sometimes to oversea lands. Therefore, furniture had to be mobile thus there was no interest in expensive interior decorations due to the impermanence of daily life. Furniture was for supporting the human body and draped with cushions and textiles to make it look appealing. At best the furniture of this period actually reflects the architecture. For example, in joined chairs, the bottom had struts between the front of the seat and the stretcher with arches worked in. Crafts people looked to architecture for ideas regarding ornaments that were to be applied to furniture. Box thrones had carvings representing tracery in the stained glass windows. Lines represented flames and flamboyancy. Lace chairs used forms derived from Gothic architecture. Linenfold carving became popular in the late Gothic and early Renaissance eras. Crest rails had ears or finials carved at the front which became an integral design characteristic along with Roman carvings (inspired by classical design.)

Stools were a dominant form of seating and chairs with armchairs were reserved for important people. The Bench form becomes popular in the Gothic era. Multipurpose chests, for storage which contained complex locks became prevalent and were versatile because they were pushed together to form beds. Often these aforementioned chests were painted or were comprised of metal work or ivory. The more stable society becomes the more diverse furniture forms become. For example, dining furniture is created when when day to day living stabilizes. Dressoirs are created to display silver, brass plates which exemplify the wealth of the family. Silverware was also displayed in the dining room on simple shelving attached to the wall or on pieces that had heavy architectural elements combined. The Credenza concept arises during this era, which is a small table placed near the dining table used for food tasting prior to serving. Roman work was utilized in carvings which exemplified grapes and vines. The press is an enclosed cabinet to store linens and textiles, its panel form doors were characterized by lace pierce work on the tops and bottoms of these pieces. Furthermore, armoires were used for storage of armour and eventually clothing.

Dining was done alone in a small table or on trestle tables. The idea of a central table had not been created yet. All guests sat against the wall for protection and watched entertainment in the central portion of the room. Canopies denoted importance and textiles were draped over important seats and beds. Canopies or box beds gave protection and retained warmth. Often in the room there were curtains for maintaining privacy as others would be in the room such as servants. Greater trade with the East and textile production in Europe itself all led to the production of tapestry. Additionally the weaving industry throughout Europe led to development of beautiful textiles. The canopy was supported at the one end with the tester. The wealth of interiors was signified through beautiful textiles. The complexity of the political realm and economy resulted in the shift of society’s focus from the church to civil society as the Renaissance approaches. There is also a shift of power to Kings and Queens as the Renaissance approach. Interiors also become more complex.

Information courtesy of New York School of Interior Design “Historical Styles 1” class