FREE ESSAY ON GOTHIC ART

GOTHIC ART

Gothic Sculpture 
In the Gothic period, remarkable sculpture was produced in France, Germany, and Italy. As
in Romanesque times, much of it was made in conjunction with church architecture,
although sculptured figures are also found on tombs, pulpits, and other church
furnishings. 
France 
The great cathedral at Chartres exemplifies the stylistic evolution of the Gothic, which
can be traced in viewing its portals. Its west entrance, the earliest, built in the
mid-12th century, displays rigid, columnar figures with schematic drapery and similar,
almost undifferentiated facial expressions; the later portals, on the north and south
transepts, show greater differentiation of personality and costume, and even convey
movement by means of a Gothic S-curve given to the axis of the body. Chartres Cathedral's
sculpture, in addition, is a virtual encyclopedia of medieval knowledge; beyond the
biblical narratives and depictions of various saints, one finds astrology, the labors of
the months, the liberal arts, and the virtues and vices portrayed. Many French Gothic
cathedrals have similar sculptural programs, and, as at Chartres, the sculptors' names
are unknown. By contrast, the name of a Flemish sculptor who worked in Dijon for the duke
of Burgundy is known: Claus Sluter. Among his works the polychromed stone Well of Moses
(1395-1403, Chartreuse de Champmol, Dijon, France), showing Moses and several other
prophets, is unique for its capture of realistic details of anatomy, clothing textures,
and distinct personalities. Also known is the name of one of the first women sculptors to
be encountered in the history of Western art-Sabina von Steinbach-who assisted her
father, the builder of Strasbourg Cathedral. She was responsible for the statues
personifying the Church and the Synagogue (both 13th cent.), which are located near the
south portals of the cathedral. 
Germany 
In Germany, Gothic sculpture frequently shows an emotional intensity and characteristic
German expressionism. Pathos is conveyed in the 13th-century choir-screen carvings, at
Naumburg Cathedral, of the crucifixion and the kiss of Judas. Medieval passion plays were
a source of inspiration to many of the Gothic sculptors of northern Europe. 
Italy 
Not surprisingly, classical tendencies are found in the Gothic in Italy, where artists
were acquainted with ancient Roman works, such as sarcophagi. Nicola Pisano (c.
1220-84?), for example, created a marble pulpit-with a strong classical flavor in its
architectural elements and sculptured panels-for the baptistery of Pisa Cathedral in the
mid-13th century. 
Bibliography
Encarta Encylopedia 1996,