Gothic Architecture Aspects - Book Report/Review Example

Gothic Architecture Gothic architecture refers to a style of architecture, which flourished all through the high and late medieval age (Burckhardt 2). Gothic architecture developed from Romanesque architecture and was followed by Renaissance architecture. Beginning in the 12th century, in France, as well as extending into the 16th century, the architecture was known, during that era, as "Opus Francigenum" (French work), with the name Gothic first emerging during the later period of the Renaissance. The Gothic characteristic features comprise of the pointed arch, the flying buttress and the ribbed vault. Gothic architecture is mainly renowned as the architecture of a majority of the great cathedrals, churches and abbeys of Europe (Burckhardt 2). The style of architecture is also the architecture that is prominent with a majority of palaces, castles, town halls, universities, guild halls and to a less private dwellings or prominent extent. From then, a lot of scholars, Burckhardt (1966) and Simson (1912), have come up with publications, which give people insight on this type of architecture. The two authors, Burckhardt (15) and Simson (4) focused on these structures with Titus Burckhardt putting his focus on the great Chartres Cathedral. Burckhardt (1966) and Simson (1912) books, Chartres and the Birth of the Cathedral and The Gothic Cathedral: Origins of Gothic Architecture and the Medieval Concept of Order respectively, are a must read if a person wants to know about these Gothic structures. This paper will analyze the gothic aspects of these two writings basing on the instructions provided. The aspects include the elements of gothic architecture discussed in each book, the central thesis, as well as issues, and whether the books address their topics thoroughly among other factors. Burckhardt’s book talks about how Chartres cathedral is the most stunning and momentous Christian artifact (Burckhardt 15). The book discusses how the cathedral has testified to numerous miracles and has lost not a bit of its power to inspire reverence, wonder and inspirational knowledge in individuals who experience it past a superficial acquaintance. Also, other scholars have remarked the spiritual implications of the Gothic styles, but Burckhardt usefully summarizes and expounds their interpretation. Simson (16), on the other hand, went deep into the Gothic architecture. The author also commands people’s respect of these structures by his rare capacity to comment enlighteningly and convincingly on the distinctions of spiritual content of Romanesque, pre-Romanesque, as well as Gothic architectural styles. The book is extremely detailed in that it would be better used by someone who wishes to thoroughly understand the gothic style of architecture. In fact, the book would confuse someone who is not fully aware of this structure if not interpreted correctly. The central issue in Titus Burckhardt’s book is the pilgrimages and the legend of the Sancta Camisa that arose from Chartres Cathedral (Burckhardt 5). Even prior to the creation of the Gothic cathedral, Chartres was a site of pilgrimage. During the Carolingian and Merovingian eras, the key focus of devotion for pilgrims was a well known as the Puits des Saints-Forts where it was believed that various Early-Christian martyrs had been dumped in after death. The central issue in Simson’s book is the structure of various Gothic structures in Medieval Europe, as well as their significance (Simson 7). The author goes into the influences of the Gothic structures and how they fitted into the religions of their time. The difference between the two books is that one focuses more on one cathedral (Burckhardt), but the other focuses on a majority of the renowned cathedrals (Simson). The books are divided into sections which go into details about their topics in order to give insight to the reader. Burckhardt’s (23) book, for instance, discusses the social and economic contexts of the Chartres Cathedral, pilgrimages and the legend of the Sancta Camisa, construction of the present cathedral, earlier buildings and the west façade, French Revolution and how it affected the cathedral, World War II, as well as its current history. Simson’s book, on the other hand, discusses the influences of the Gothic architecture, characteristics of Gothic churches and cathedrals, regional differences of this type of structures and how the Gothic structures have survived and revived in recent times along with other forms of Gothic structures (Simson 18). Such as a book is a must read for someone who wants an in-depth understanding of these structures. Burckhardt’s book, Chartres and the birth of the cathedral, discussed almost each and every significant matter about the Charters Cathedral, but it failed to discuss how the cathedral acquired the Sancta Camisa. This being the central topic in the book, Sancta Camisa and the Charters Cathedral, the author should have touched on this matter to make the reader understand the topic. It would have been essential for the author to discuss this and Camisa’s connections to Virgin Mary. Simson’s book, on the other hand, talked about the characteristics of the Gothic structures, but failed to give much detail about the pointed structures. The pointed arches of the Gothic structures are, in essence, the most defining element of this type of structures. Therefore, for the author to make his work sound significant, he could have also focused on this element. The target audiences of both books are individuals who are fascinated with these ancient structures, as well as religious people who might want to know the religious aspects of the Gothic architectures. Also, the Gothic structures, being a style of architecture, are a subject matter to also the people architectures (Burckhardt 33). Therefore, the book also targeted architectures who might be interested in these kinds of works. The books are also used in learning institutions, which study this type of art in order to give insight to students regarding the Gothic style of architecture. Also, the book can be considered to be a guide for researchers who want to understand the history of the Gothic structures. An appealing number of church buildings remain from this period, which might be significant if people understood their history (Simson 46). Previous Gothic novels or writings have been harshly attacked by cultural critics of the eighteenth century, in particular moralists, who considered the Gothic style of architecture to be encouraging extreme emotions, as well as bracing unlicensed passions (Burckhardt 64). However, the positive review that these two books have gotten means that they are of high value. It seems that a majority of exhaustive books of the Gothic genre have been written with the spotlight on the alleged Ambiguous Gothic in particular; a style that evolved around the 18th century. The books written prior to these two evolved Gothic forms are normally regarded somewhat crude and maybe not worth the similar amount of attention as these two publications. This makes it mostly interesting to examine to what level said usually applied speculations also fit the former, pre-Ambiguous Gothic; certainly, whether their value endures all the way back to the origin of the Gothic architecture (Simson 53). The books, due to their high value, are also extremely interesting. As I was going through the writings, they gave me a feeling as if I had travelled to the Middle Ages. It was as I was back to the world where our ancestors were brought up, the Roman Catholic spiritual world. This experience was extremely superb. The two books talked to me about the religious information of this world and how the Gothic architectures brought out the religious meanings of their creation. The authors were extremely clear in their information. The cathedrals were a place or area for meditation, just sitting, just walking around and just looking at those striking things (Burckhardt 44). These books do not need further explanation, but just reading to those who do not understand the Gothic style of architecture. “A rock pile stops being a rock pile the moment a single person contemplates it, bearing within the person the image of a cathedral” (Burckhardt 58). Burckhardt (58) talks about the Chartres cathedral in a manner which no man can be able to mock it. “The dispute of a cathedral is extremely good for architectural inventiveness” (Simson 106). This quote also talks about Chartres cathedral, but in a different book. Simson used this quote to show how the dispute in the cathedral brought its attention to many people. In conclusion, The Gothic Cathedral: Origins of Gothic Architecture and the Medieval Concept of Order captured almost everything a person would want to know about Gothic structures in general, as well as specific structures that have incorporated the Gothic style of architecture. As I said while beginning the paper, a person who only wants to know the summary of Gothic architectures should not go through this book because they might end up being confused. However, people who wish to thoroughly understand the Gothic style of architecture should take their time and go through this detailed writing. Finally, Chartres and the Birth of the Cathedral is a writing which focuses on the beauty of the Chartres Cathedral and people who are stunned by this magnificent structure should also take their time to go through writing. The book contains a lot of details concerning this one cathedral, which was also the central topic of the author. However, the author could have focused on how Sancta Camisa become as legend, with regards to the temple, in order to make the reader understand the topic fully. Works Cited Burckhardt, Titus. Chartres and the Birth of the Cathedral. Bloomington, Indiana: World Wisdom Books, 1996. Print. Simson, Otto. The Gothic Cathedral: Origins of Gothic Architecture and the Medieval Concept of Order. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1988. Print. Read More