Compare Chartres Cathedral and Canterbury Cathedral - Term Paper Example

? Canterbury Cathedral and Canterbury Cathedral Dengjie Chen History of Arch. AnkeKoth Dec. 05, Introduction The paper deals with the comparisonof Canterbury and Chartres Cathedral. These two buildings are the signs of Gothic style and Romanesque style. The paper discusses the peculiarities of historical period of the Medieval Ages and it reflects the main themes of Bible, depiction of the magnates and the royal persons. Chartres Cathedral and Canterbury Cathedral are two historical monuments of gothic architecture. The main features of gothic architecture are perfectly seen in these two cathedrals: intricate architectural images, perplexed structures and many other specific features reflect the specific nature of the middle ages and gothic times. Chartres Cathedral The Gothic cathedral has the following plan: it is looks like a cross; there are three aisles, a transept and an ambulatory1. The Cathedral has also five semi-circular chapels though they can be found at the east end of the building. The high nave is supported by flying buttresses and the colonnettes surround it2. The apse is supported by single flying buttresses and this structural element was used as the main element of the architecture of the building. Flying buttresses play the main role in architecture of the external appearance. Flying buttresses were used in order to make the architecture of the clerestory windows and the height of the nave lighter3. The mismatched west spires are often criticized for architectural asymmetrical incongruence, which indicates a misbalance with architectural elegant symmetry of the Cathedral. The height of the spires is different: the south spire is a “349-foot (105m) plain Romanesque pyramid (1140 dated) and the north is a 377-foot (113m) dated early 16th-century Flamboyant Gothic spire an older tower”4. Moreover, it should be noted that from the west side of the building there are large rose windows, decorated with sculptured portals and flanking towers5. 3 portal layout is considered to be a unique feature of Chartres Cathedral6. There are nine portals in the Cathedral in general. The north portal dated circa 1230 is devoted for the Virgin Mary and Jesus Christ. St. Anne statue is holding an infant Mary between the doors in the central portal. The Cathedral statues of the on the right hand are: The statue of Isaiah a prophet, proclaiming that “there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots”7. The flowering stem was hold by him and a figure of Jesse is below the Prophet. The statue of Jeremiah signifying Passion is holding a Greek cross and we can see an attentive follower near him. The statue of Simeon holds the Child. John the Baptist is depicted as a very thin man from fasting and we can see the dragon near his feet. St. Peter represents a pope and Elijah is located the wheels of his chariot and there is a follower Elisha holding his mantle8. The date of South Portal establishment is 1224-50 and is devoted to the New Testament. The main concern of the New Testament is a human-like appearance of Jesus Christ. The sculptures of martyrs and the confessors are surrounding the Christ. The Royal Portal or the West Portal dated circa1150 is devoted to Jesus Christ and Mary. The statues decorating this portal are the statues of the royalty and themes from the Old Testament. This feature signifies an essential shift from Romanesque to Gothic: “the whimsical elongation of the figures reflects the former while the realistic and emotive faces anticipate the latter”9. The statue of Jesus Christ surrounded by the symbols of Four Evangelists depicts the Last Judgment. Both human and divine nature of Jesus Christ is depicted in the sculpture. There is a sculpture of Anne and Joachim, who struggled against infertility before the birth of Mary and this sculpture is often positioned as a potential healer of motherhood and children. The left-hand portal is devoted to the Ascension of Christ10. The right-hand portal is devoted to the themes from the Christ life in the world. At the scenes the Life of the Virgin are depicted. Thus, there is an elegant exterior of the Cathedral. The wonders of the Cathedral’s interior are also fascinating for the visitors. There are a lot of combined columns rising from plain bases, which rise above the high pointed arches up to the ceiling. There is an ambulatory from the east side of the building and a choir and sanctuary near it. There are a lot of new sculptures in comparison with its initial erection in the sixteenth century during the next two centuries. The sculptures devoted to the lives of Christ and Virgin Mary emerged. There is a labyrinth floor in the Chartres dated 1205. It is supposed that the labyrinth was created after the legend about the labyrinth on Minos. Moreover, it is interesting to follow beautiful splashes of color on to the floor from the beautiful stained glass windows11. The glass occurred in the beginning of the sixteenth century and it is considered to be the most impressive collections of medieval glass from the period of the middle Ages. The West Rose is devoted to the Last Judgment: “the left part depicts the Passion and Resurrection Window; the middle lancet is the Incarnation Window; and the right lancet is the Jesse Window”12. The North Rose and the South Rose are devoted to glorification of prophets, Jesus Christ, evangelists and angels. Canterbury Cathedral Canterbury Cathedral is another impressive depiction of gothic style in architecture. The size of the Cathedral is very impressive. This Cathedral signifies an efficient and brisk shift from Romanesque architectural style to Gothic style: the right side of the cathedral consists of blind arcades, the round arches and intrinsic rough surfaces; the left side of the Cathedral is decorated with pointed arches and pinnacles of the Gothic nave13. The evidence of the Romanesque exterior can be seen in the decoration with the intertwined blind arches with carved columns and intrinsic capitals. Especially interesting are medieval characters, which present in the capitals.   The Gothic style can be seen at southwest porch, which is the central entrance to the building. Tiny faces and interesting images are carved there. A great Gothic choir screen is present at the nave. The east side of the choir, where Trinity Chapel occurs is higher than the rest of the interior an ambulatory surrounds it. Moreover, interesting inlaid marble roundels decorate the floor of the Trinity Chapel. There we can see the signs of zodiac and representations of different vices. There is a complicated stained glass in Canterbury Cathedral, which is located in Trinity Chapel as well. The ambulatory is surrounded by eight windows depicting the Miracles of St. Thomas Becket. These windows represent a glimpse in the Medieval Ages and the most crucial events of that historical period can be identified there. The east end of the Cathedral is also decorated with an apse chapel, which is also known as the Crown. The Medieval windows can be seen there. The first one is the Tree of Jesse window and the Redemption Window is also known as a typological window, indicating four types of Old Testament devoted to the themes of Passion and Resurrection of Christ14. Throughout the cathedral one can identify the medieval stained glass. Flying buttress is the reflection of the Gothic style. This feature is close to the features of Chartres Cathedral.15 The important characteristic of the cathedral is the ambulatory with numerous tombs of royalties and archbishops. The Tomb of the Black Prince (1330-76) is one of the well-known tombs. This interesting tomb is located in the south ambulatory. Another impressive part of the building is the massive crypt in the east end of the cathedral. Comparison of Chartres and Canterbury Cathedrals A Gothic period of France is perfectly reflected in the Chartres Cathedral. There are numerous features of gothic style in the architecture in this building: these are towering spire, a plan in the form of a cross, flying buttress, stain glasses, pointed arch, and beam-columns16. Chartres Cathedral was built in 1145. Still, the fire destroyed it and there was a need to rebuild the building in 1194. Consequently, the Chartres Cathedral reflects the old Romanesque style tower on right. On the left side of the building there is an evident reflection of an early Gothic architecture. A fine work chiseling is evident on the right hand of the building and there are blurred lines on the tower. Other important characteristics of Gothic style hollow out arches’ buttress, which is an evident contrast with the old Romanesque style tower on the right17. These two towers of different style were compared with the fingers of God. Therefore, there are two evident different architectural styles in the Cathedral. The most important concern of the Cathedral is its cruciform. The magical height of the facade, nave and basilica reflect the main features of the Gothic style. In accordance with Wodehouse, in his book A History of Western Architecture, he claims: “The builders also added a transept to the original Romanesque basilica plan and, after construction was underway, decided to include three sculpted portals on each transept arm, giving Chartres a total of nine entrances.”18 There is an intention of designers to make the entrance and inside bright. Transept signifies a peculiarity of Gothic architecture as well. This feature enlarges the area of cathedral at roses and in such a way there is an evident difference between the Gothic style and Romanesque style in architecture19. Thus, we can see that two cathedrals discussed in the paper, are the signs of Gothic style in architecture. Romanesque style and Gothic styles are interconnected and in an interesting manner they reflect peculiarities of development of different historical periods. Both, the images of weird creatures from the Middle Ages, the divine images, the architectural devotion to the Jesus Christ life and many other plots are reflected in the architecture of both cathedrals. The east-western part is longer than north and south part of the building because of the crossing. Moreover, “the Romanesque apes was transformed into a Gothic choir by the insertion of four shallow chapels between the three existing deep chapels of the crypt, thus creating seven shallow chapels with a double ambulatory on the upper level”20. Therefore, Chartres Cathedral is a mixture of Gothic style and the Romanesque architecture. The same thing can be said about Canterbury Cathedral. There is the presence of chapels, carved images outside and inside the buildings. The Gothic style can be seen at southwest porch, which is the central entrance to the building. Tiny faces and interesting images are carved there. A great Gothic choir screen is present at the nave. The east side of the choir, where Trinity Chapel occurs is higher than the rest of the interior an ambulatory surrounds it. The evidence of the Romanesque exterior can be seen in the decoration with the intertwined blind arches with carved columns and intrinsic capitals. Wodehouse claims that a transfer from Romanesque into Gothic style is evident by the change of the apse of the cathedral. Three deep chapels and four shallow chapels witness a transfer of the Cathedral into Gothic architecture. The important part of the cathedral is nave. Numerous doors connecting each part of the cathedral with a bunch of reliefs on the doors are attractive for people to go into depth of the building. A support, which consists of five fly-buttresses and supporting the nave wall of Chartres Cathedral, is the evidence of the main feature of a high Gothic architecture. The Gothic architecture has one of the main peculiar features, which is the flying buttress. Raeburn claims that “the invention of flying buttresses to take the weight of the vault allowed the nave wall to be reduced in mass.”21 Thus, there is a possibility to reduce a massive weight of nave wall and making the building structure more secure. From another perspective, the outlook of the cathedral is more unique and harmonious. The change of the nave element led to the change of fly-buttress into high Gothic architecture from early Gothic architecture22. The fly-buttresses of the Cathedral are half arch and there is a towering nave of the Cathedral. The strain glass windows in Chartres Cathedral and in Canterbury Cathedral reflect the main peculiarity of Gothic architecture. Moreover, these two Cathedrals reflect the transition and mixture of Gothic and Romanesque styles in the architecture23. There is a complex craft of the windows: “The rose- window is a consistent feature of the Gothic churches in the France, but not of those in Normandy; and there has been a tendency”24. Large rose windows of the Cathedral are also the facts witnessing a Gothic architecture. The interior reflects the Gothic style in architecture as well. There are three parts in Chartres Cathedral interior, such as clerestory, triforium, and arcade25. This fact differs from the early Gothic architecture, because in high Gothic style triforium is instead of gallery, and at clerestory, quadripartite rib-vault is instead of sexpartite rib-vault26. There are four divisions in the nave of the Chartres Cathedral and the ceiling is higher than sexpartite rib-vault. Consequently, the height of Chartres Cathedral is higher than using sexpartite rib-vault. Therefore, this Cathedral is towering and it is the best evidence of the Gothic style in architecture. The presence of the pointed arch or (Gothic arch) is another evidence of Gothic architecture. The span of the ceiling and the limited height of the ceiling are limited by this arch. Thus, we can see a lofty architecture. The quadripartite rib-vault and pointed arch develops the structure of the Cathedral, which reaches its highest point. Conclusion Therefore, Canterbury Cathedral and Chartres Cathedral are the signs of the Medieval Ages and the intrinsic nature of combined Gothic and Romanesque styles. The presence of chapels, pointed towers, curious images carved inside the building, divine images, the plots from the New and Old Testaments, the evidences from Baptists times, the images of royalty and superficial looks of magnates reflect historical events of the Medieval Ages. Works cited 1. Archives. Accessed December 05, 2011. http://www.canterbury-cathedral.org/history/archives.aspx 2. Burckhardt, Titus. Chartres and The Birth of The Cathedral Revised. Bloomington, Indiana: World Wisdom, Inc., 2010. 3. Canterbury Cathedral. Accessed December 05, 2011. http://www.sacred-destinations.com/england/canterbury-cathedral. 4. Chartres Cathedral. Accessed December 05, 2011. http://www.bluffton.edu/~sullivanm/chartreswest/centralportal.html. 5. Chartres Cathedral. Accessed December 05, 2011. http://www.sacred-destinations.com/france/chartres-cathedral 6. Kusaba, Yoshio. Some observations on the Early Flying Buttress and Choir Triforium of Canterbury Cathedral. New York: International Center of Medieval Art, 1989. Accessed October 10, 2011. http://www.jstor.org/stable/767067. 7. Rackham, Bernard. The Burlington Magazine for Connolsseurs. London: The Burlington Magazine Publications, Ltd., 1928. Accessed October 10, 2011. http://www.jstor.org/stable/863512. 8. Raeburn, Michael. Architecture of Western World. New York: Country Life Limited, 1980. 9. Sutton, Ian. Western Architecture From Ancient Greece to the Present. New York: Thames and Hudson Inc., 1999. 10. Williams, Jan Welch. The Windows of The Trades at Chartres Cathedral. Michigan: University Microfilms International A Bell & Howell Information Compay, 1987. 11. Williamson, Hugh R. Canterbury Cathedral. London: Country Life Limited, 1953. 12. Wodehouse, Lawrence, and Marian Moffett. A History of Western Architecture. California: Mayfield Publishing Company, 1999. Read More