Gothic Architecture, the style of architecture that prevailed in central and western Europe from the middle of the 12th till the 16th century, being preceded by the Romanesque (q. v.), and followed bj' the Re- naissance style (q. v.). Under the influence of the revival of taste for classic art, the Renaissance archi- tects applied the name Gothic, meaning therebj' bar- hanc, to the styles of architecture that were devel- oped nortn oi the Alps during tlie Middle Ages. The name Gothic is now limited by critics of all nations to the architecture of the period above indicated.
In the extraordinaiy activitj' that pervaded every department of social, industrial, intellectual, and relig- ious life during the 12tli century, many churches were founded upon a scale of grandeur and magnificence which, with the exception of a few isolated cases (as the Santa Sophia, q. v.), was entirely unprecedented in the historj' of Christianity. These churches em- bodied, in the style and spirit of their architecture, and the grand scale upon wliich they were projected, more of the sublime aspiration of the Cliristian faith, of confidence in its endurance, and love and sacrifice in its behalf, than do the churches of any other pe- riod. Man}' elements of the Gothic architecture had been developed during the classic, Byzantine, and Ro- manesque periods ; others were taken from the Sara- cenic architecture ; and others still Avere developed within the Gothic itself. The typical features of the Gothic architecture are : the universal use of the point- ed arch (Fig. 1) ; a general tendency to vertical lines ;
Fig. 1. Pointed Arches (from Liibke's Gescldchte der Batv-
IcUIUit).
Fig. 2. Section of an Arch in the Cathedral at Nevers (ibid.?.
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[ are sustained against lateral thrust by prominent but- tresses and by flying-buttresses (Fig. 5) ; the ornamen-
Fig. 3. ff, &, Capital and P. x^e, and c. Section of a Pillar in the Cathedral at Cologne (ibid.).
Fig. 4. Window in bt. Lambert s Chureh iti Muustcr (ibid.).
all mouldings are traced by mathematical lines (Fig. 2), whereas in the Greelc architecture they wore drawn with a free hand ; the mouldings, capitals, pillars, etc., have lost all traditional classical forms and propor- tions, the pillars being often many times their diame- ter in height ; the pillars have their outlines cut by numerous and often deep upright mouldings (Fig. .S), or are composed of a round nucleus surrounded by many smaller columns ; the windows are greatly en- larged, and the walls are proportionally diminished ; paintings, l)eing thus crowded away from the walls, are replaced by paintings upon the windows [see Glass Painting] ; the windows are ornamented with delicate and complicated tracery (Fig. 4) ; the walls
Fig. 5. Flying-buttress of the Cathedral at Cologne (ibid.).
tation is conventionalized from various forms of foli- age, and is distributed freeh^ over all prominent parts of the building, being thrown in great profusion over the fa9ades, and especially around the main entrances ; the towers are square at the base, octagonal above, and terminate in loft)^ spires, which are richly decorated with ornament ; the plan is cruciform, the apsis being replaced by a choir, which is surrounded by a row of chapels (Fig. G).
Fig. 6. Plan of the Cathedral at Cologne (ibid-).
"While these are the typical features of the Gothic architecture, trroat variety prevailed in their adapta- tion in the different periods of the style, and in the various lands where it was employed.
Gothic architecture owes its character mainly to the adoption of the pointed arch. There is no longer a
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Fig. 7. Interior of the Cathedral of Cologne (ibid.).
discussion as to the origin or the invention of the pointed arch, as it is to be found occasionally in all the most ancient styles of architecture, as the Egyptian, the early Greek, the Etruscan, and the Eoman. It is found in the court of a monastery in Sicih', which was built in the Gth centmy after Christ. It was adopted in Saracenic edifices in Cairo as early as the 9th cen- tury. Probabh' a knowledge of its effects in archi- tectui-e was livought to Europe from the Orient by the Crusaders, though tlie production of the pointed arch by the crossing of round arches in the external orna- mentation of Itomancsque churches could not have es- caped the notice of architects. The contest for suprem- acy of the pointed over the round arch lasted a long time, the two being often employed in different parts of the same edifice. The earliest church in which the pointed arch only was adopted is the cathedral of St. Denis, founded 1144. The Gothic style, being thus fully developed, spread ra))idly over the Isle de France, Kormand}', England, Spain, and the countries border- ing on the Khine. A large number of the most mag- nificent churches in tlie woi'ld were founded between lloO and loOO, and thus the new style had immediate opiiortunity for full develoi)ment. (Fig. 7.)
Three chief periods are usually marked in the his- tory of Gothic architecture. During tlie first (1144- 1280), called by English writers the "early English" period, the general effect of tjie st3'le was very grand, though rather severe. The ornamentation was rather meagre, and sculpture was used rather sparingl3'on ex-
teriors. During the second period (1280-1380), termed by many writers the "decorated" or "complete Goth- ic" period, greater freedom and lightness were intro- duced into all the ornamentation, without diminishing the boldness of the general effect. The windows were enlarged and filled with rich flowing tracery. The third, usually termed the "perpendicular" period (l,s80 -1550), and extending till the revival of classic archi- tecture, was marked by a general decadence of style, and finally b.y a loss of all true Gothic spirit. The arches were depressed ; beauty of outline disappeared from the mouldings; a minuteness, and finally a triv- ialitv, was introduced into all the ornamentation. The rapid decadence of the style was contemporaneous with the revival of taste for ancient classic art. In less than a century it was banished from all the countries where it liad held sole dominion for nearly four centuries.