Photos of the Best Beautiful Gothic Art & Antiquities

Photos of the Best Historic Medieval Gothic Art & Antiquities from Europe.

Photos of Medieval Romanesque Architecture & Historic Sites – Churches, Cathedrals & Catle Sites. From 1100 AD to 1500 AD.

Medieval Gothic Art & Antiquities & Historic Sites Photos by photographer Paul E Williams. These Museum artefacts photos are a resource for Art Buyers, Picture Researchers, Documentary Makers, Academics, Students and fans of Medieval Gothic art. They are part of an ongoing projects called Museopics which aims to bring photos of Museum Antiquities together for all to view free and we hope you enjoy them.

The Development of Gothic Art & Antiquities in France

From the 12th to the 16th centuries the Medieval Gothic was a style developed in Northern France superseding the Romanesque style. Originally the Gothic style was known as opus Francigenum (French work). The term Gothic was first applied contemptuously by Italians who couldn’t image anything of any worth coming out of the barbaric descendants of the Goths of Northern Europe.

The Pointed Arch

The great discovery that made Gothic architecture fundamentally different from the Romanesque was use of the pointed or ogival arch. In simple terms the pointed arch could carry far greater weights above it than the rounded Roman arch. This led to the development of the pointed rib vault and flying buttresses which supported thin delicate walls with huge windows that let light in.

Gothic Archiectural Style

Gothic stone work was decorated with elaborate tracery and the windows had stained glass. The Gothic architects innovations allow great Cathedrals to be built that were higher than their Romanesque predecessors, with interiors flooded with coloured light, as apposed to the dark interiors of Romanesque churches with small window.

The Gothic building had far more elaborate exterior decorations than Romanesque buildings with niches that were filled with statues of saints. The stonework of the interiors was carved with intricate designs with decorative pillars rising to great fan shaped vaulted ceilings.

St Denis Basilica

The great model of French Gothic was St Denis Basilica which was where the Kings of France were entombed. In the 12th century Abbot Suger had a portions of the old Romanesque church rebuilt in the Gothic style with spectacular results. Pilgrims returning home from St Denis spread the news of the new Gothic style and Gothic Cathedrals sprung up all over northern Europe.

The shear height of Gothic cathedrals still inspires awe today. Originally all the stonework and statues of the buildings would have been painted bright colours bringing the statues to life. It is hard to imagine the impact of these building on peasants living in small thatched cottages.

Gothic Stained Glass

The new Gothic cathedrals were decorated with new Gothic art. Gothic Cathedrals had huge windows and the opportunity to fill them with art was not lost. This led to the development of Stained Glass windows. The heights which medieval stained glass artists stained can be seen in the wonderful stained glass of Chartres Cathedral.

Gothic Art & Antiquities

Gothic art slowly change to be more expressive than the Romanesque. Figures had more movement and had expressions that depicted emotions. Figures in paintings were allowed more room around them in which scenes were developed. Early perspective was attempted. All in all Gothic art was much more lively with more movement than earlier rigid Romanesque depictions.

The decoration of church interiors with narrative works continued in the Gothic period with more ambitious compositions.

Secular Gothic Art & Antiquities

Gothic art brought the advent of secular art to the medieval world with tombs sculptures of kings and bishops as well as artworks of the nobility to decorate their castles. The Gothic era was a creative and innovative era that paved the way for the Renaissance that followed.