A Comparison of the West Faade of the Chartres Cathedral and the Amiens Cathedral - Essay Example

Running Head: ARCHITECTURE COMPARISON A comparison of the west façade of the Chartres Cathedral and the Amiens Cathedral A comparison of the west façade of the Chartres Cathedral and the Amiens Cathedral Introduction The west facades of the Chartres Cathedral and the Amiens Cathedral both share some similar semiotic discourse about the histories of the Christian religion. However, the styles of the Cathedrals reveal a shift in the architectural gothic style, a subtle desire for higher elevation and more detailed piercing that came into fashion during the High Gothic period. Both facades share the element of the rose window and depictions of the kings of the old testament, but the façade at Chartres has an element of academic connectivity that is not as present in the façade at Amiens. Both facades, however, create a sense of the tension between salvation and damnation, good and evil, in the sculptural depictions of the symbolic conversations about the functions of Christ. The West Façade of the Chartres Cathedral According to Gardner and Kleiner (2010), all that remains of the Chartres Cathedral from the Gothic period before the fire of 1194 is a portion of the west façade with only the lower parts of the west towers and the portals between still intact. The remnants of the façade was upgraded and created in High Gothic Style with the west entrance called the Royal Portal because statues of kings and queens flank the three doorways. The archivolts of the right portal are depictions in sculpture of the “seven Liberal arts and their male champions”. The secularized theme is tied to the religious purpose of the building due to the philosophical connection made by scholars of the Medieval period who believed that learning was the pathway to God, primarily through the influence of Thierry of Chartres, chancellor of the cathedral school of Chartres from 1141-1151 (p. 343). It was the intent of the scholars of the period to prove the articles of faith through argument, thus creating a tie between scholasticism and ecclesiastic efforts (Gardner and Kleiner, 2010, p. 344). The iconography of the three capitals of the portals reveal friezes that depict episodes from the life of Christ. The three episodes, Christ’s Ascension, the Second Coming, and Jesus in the lap of Mary, reminiscent of both the Byzantine and Romanesque era’s. The prominent position of Mary furthers the conceptualized ideologies of the ‘cult of Mary’ through which she holds a prominent and distinctive place within the plan of God, thus holding many prominent places in the art that depicts the events of the life of Christ and of her own caring and watchful presence (Gardner & Kleiner, 2010, p. 343). The left scene of the Ascension is surrounded by signs of the zodiac and of the twelve labors, in which the close relationship that still existed between Christianity and paganism is revealed. The middle tympanum shows a scene of the Second Coming with “signs of the four evangelists, the 24 elders of the Apocalypse, and the twelve Apostles appear(ing) around Christ or on the lintel” (Gardner & Kleiner, 2010, p. 344). During the Romanesque period the point of view of the iconic depiction of the Second Coming was defined by the concept of damnation, but during the Gothic period it became a symbolic of salvation. The jambs that flank the doorways of the Royal Portal are created from statues of the kings and queens of the Old Testament. The semiotic imagery is of them supporting the New Testament as they hold up the imagery of Christ above them. However, because they were defined by visual similarities to the French kings and queens, they intended to bestow a sense of divinity on the royal houses of France (Janson & Janson, 2003, p. 542). Despite a sense of rigidity as they hold themselves within a defined space, their elbows tight to their bodies, they are representative of the new naturalism that allowed for a full three dimensional viewpoint rather than as simply a relief (Gardner & Kleiner, 2010, p. 344). The West Façade of the Amiens Cathedral The French obsession with the height of cathedrals is exemplified by Amiens Cathedral. Construction for the cathedral began in 1220 and was inspired by the gothic design of the Chartres Cathedral. The lower parts of the west façade were inspired by the work on Laon Cathdral for the “the spacing of the funnel like and gable covered portals” with the upper parts punctured even more so than in Laon (Gardner & Kleiner, 2010, p. 352). The amount of piercing leaves very little room for sculptural detail, but decorate stonework of arches, pinnacles, colonnettes and rosettes diminish the impact of the inner core on the viewer of the build. The band of statues known as ‘the king’s gallery’ runs the entire width below the rose window (Gardner & Kleiner, 2010, p. 353). The most prominent sculptural figure on the façade is the Beau Dieu, a stature of Christ. The figure stands in a formation of blessing, bestowing a symbolic grace upon those who enter the Cathedral. The figure stands on the central doorways trumeau. The stature is unique in that it is three dimensional and has the presence of a free standing piece “independent of its architectural setting”, with an architectural canopy hanging over the Christ’s head (Gardner & Kleiner, 2010, p. 353). The canopy sits beneath a tympanum that depicts a representation of Christ as the Last Judge. Where the Beau Dieu gives a sense of hope and the openness of salvation, the depiction of Christ as the Last Judge is a reminder of the need to behave and live without sin. Even within his serenity and older features which would come to prominence in later painting rather than the common youthful appearance of the early Christian Christ, he is trampling a lion and a dragon, symbolizing his power to crush evil (Gardner & Kleiner, 2010, p. 353). According to Stoddard (1972), the west façade of Amiens Cathedral is a synthesis of earlier Cathedral architecture styles, with the influences of Chartres, Laon, and that of the Notre Dames influencing the methods from which it is designed. However, new heights were reached within its design with a full two zones existing between the rose window and the portals (214). The rose window is much higher than is seen in any of the other Cathedrals that came before its build, although the crisp, heavy drapery that graced the sculptures is both a new style with a revival sense of aesthetics from the Romanesque period. The preservation of the folds is distinct and impressive to this day (Kibler, 1995, p. 406). Conclusion The two facades are similar in the period design structure through which they are built. The rose window over a set of three portals is the classic design of the entrance. However, there is a realized shift in the architectural ideals from the time of the Chartres build to the time of the Amiens build. The latter combined the best of Chartres, Laon, and Paris in order to create a highly pierced and ornately decorated façade which makes it seem almost as if there is no structure holding up its face. The sculpture becomes more distinctly three dimensional with the Beau Dieu seeming to be completely independent of its architectural home. While the canopy suggests it is a part of the overall work, it is clearly a full three dimensional around to its back. The thematic sculptural work both share the visages of the Old Testament royalty, however, with the superimposed visages of the royalty of France creating a connectivity between the Catholic Church, the Divine Right, and the French royal houses. The suggestion of the judging capacity of Christ and the event of the Second Coming are also shared themes of the works. The purpose of the décor of both Cathedrals is to remind parishioners of why they have come to their church, that within these walls is the possibility of finding both damnation and salvation, the context of their visit within the choices that they make in life. As the rose window stands facing the west, the direction from which Christ is said to come during the second coming, the end of time is portrayed in the semiotic discourse of both west facades. References Gardner, H., & Kleiner, F. S. (2010). Gardners art through the ages: The western perspective. Australia: Wadsworth/Cengage Learning. Janson, H. W., & Janson, A. F. (2003). History of art: The Western tradition. Upper Saddle River, N.J: Prentice-Hall. Kibler, William W. (1995). Medieval France: An encyclopedia. Philadelphia, PA: Psychology Press. Stoddard, W. S. (1972). Art and architecture in Medieval France: Medieval architecture, sculpture, stained glass, manuscripts, the art of the church treasuries. New York: Harper & Row. Read More