High Gothic Cathedrals in France

Richard I of England died unexpectedly in 1199French king Phillip II conquered Normandy and Anjou starting in 1204

Prestige of the French crown grows as of 1200

11541200

I. The problematic classification “High Gothic.” Wilson’s view vs. that of others.

Chartres, 1194-1221 Bourges, 1195-1255 Reims, 1211-41&

Amiens, 1220-30

The Five Major High Gothic Cathedrals

Beauvais, 1227-69

I. Classification “High Gothic” - Why aren’t the Rayonnant cathedrals the “high” point?

Chartres, 1194-1221 Bourges, 1195-1255Reims, 1211-41 Amiens, 1220-30

The Five Major High Gothic Cathedrals

Beauvais, 1227-69

Rayonnant Cathedrals

St.-Denis’s nave 1230-50, Paris Strasbourg, 1240-77

Cologne, Germany 1248-1322

Nôtre-Dame’s transepts, 1245-60

High Gothic: Reims, Amiens, and Beauvais, begun between 1210 and 1225

modernist privileging of “primitive” over “classic” phases of art

Reims Cathedral Amiens Cathedral Beauvais Cathedral

I. Classification “High Gothic” - Why aren’t the Rayonnant cathedrals the “high” point?

High Gothic attributes according to Wilson

Chartres Cathedral Bourges Cathedral

I. Problematic “High Gothic” - why not consider it a transitional phase between Early Gothic and the real high point (Rayonnant)?

Chartres, 1194-1221 Bourges, 1195-1255 Reims, 1211-41&

Amiens, 1220-30

The Five Major High Gothic Cathedrals

Beauvais, 1227-69

High Gothic attributes: light, height, and spatial unity (Jean Bony)

High GothicChartres Cathedral, 1194-1220

Early GothicLaon Cathedral, 1150s-1205

Gallery omitted

Triforium as intermediary

Clerestory extends below the springing of the vaults.

I. Problematic “High Gothic”

High Gothic attributes: light, height, and spatial unity (Jean Bony)

High GothicChartres Cathedral, 1194-1220

Gallery omitted

Triforium as intermediary

Clerestory extends below the springing of the vaults.

Laon Chartres

I. Problematic “High Gothic”

High Gothic attributes: light, height, and spatial unity (Jean Bony)I. Problematic “High Gothic”

Beauvais Cathedralbegun 1227

nave height 147'

Heights of clerestory windowsin Early to High Gothic nave elevations

12th-13th century

I. Problematic “High Gothic” High Gothic attributes: light, height, and spatial unity (Jean Bony)

Amiens Cathedral

Chartres Cathedral, 1194-1220

It’s about the windows (Wilson). Reworking of everything to emphasize the clerestory’s dominance

I. Problematic “High Gothic” High Gothic attributes: most important is light (Wilson)

Chartres Cathedral (Nôtre-Dame), Chartres, France, 1194-1221

II. How do all High Gothic churches seem to strive toward greater spatial unity, greater height, and greater illumination but in slightly different ways?

Bourges Cathedral (St.-Étienne), Bourges, France, 1195-1255

Chartres Cathedral Bourges Cathedral

1. How does the exterior massing contribute to a unified appearance?

Chartres Cathedral Bourges Cathedral5-aisle basilica

Early Gothic churches High Gothic cathedrals

Laon

Notre-Dam

2. How does the High Gothic plan contribute to spatial unity?

3. How does pointed arch allow for greater spatial unity?

quadripartite rib vaults (Chartres) quadripartite rib vaults (Chartres)

sexpartite rib vaults (Bourges)sexpartite rib vaults (Bourges)

3. How does pointed arch allow for greater spatial unity?

4. How do three structural features combine to make a soaring, luminous Gothic space?

Bourges Cathedralrib vaults

walls can be thin or simply glazed

windows can be wider

Bourges Cathedral

4. How do three structural features combine to make a soaring, luminous Gothic space?

1 : 1

pier-to-pier windows

Flying buttresses allow for longer windows

4. How do three structural features combine to make a soaring, luminous Gothic space?

Chartres Cathedral, south flank

tribune gallery supports nave vault

no tribune gallery +high clerestorey ↓ flying buttresses

4. How do three structural features combine to make a soaring, luminous Gothic space?

Chartres Cathedral4. How do three structural features combine to make a soaring, luminous Gothic space?

Chartres Cathedral4. How do three structural features combine to make a soaring, luminous Gothic space?

Chartres Cathedral

113'

4. How do three structural features combine to make a soaring, luminous Gothic space?

High GothicChartres Cathedral, 1194-1220

Early GothicLaon Cathedral, 1150s-1205

4. How do three structural features combine to make a soaring, luminous Gothic space?

4. How do three structural features combine to make a soaring, luminous Gothic space?

Light enters through full length of long and wide clerestory windows.

early Gothic high Gothic

larger clerestory windows also made possible by eliminating the gallery

triforium

5. Design of the High Gothic nave elevation

The triforium enlivens the dead zone where the pent roof is Pent roof protects aisle vaults

Chartres Cathedral

5. Design of the High Gothic nave elevation

Chartres Cathedral

1 : 1

5. Design of the High Gothic nave elevation

Bourges Cathedral

nave clerestory

nave triforium

nave arcade

aisle clerestory

aisle triforium

aisle arcade

5. Design of the High Gothic nave elevation

Bourges Cathedral

5. Design of the High Gothic nave elevation

Chartres Cathedralpilier cantonné

Bourges Cathedral, 1190s

High Gothic“Lancet Gothic”

1190-1230Rayonnant Gothic

1230-1350Flamboyant Gothic

1350-1500

19th-century classification system based on the form of window tracery

Rayonnant Style: Pinnacle of French Gothic or Sign of Imminent Decadence?

Rayonnant (French for radiating, refers to the spokes of the rose window)

Rayonnant Style: Gothic Paradigm or Sign of Imminent Decadence?

High Gothic1190-1230

Rayonnant Gothic1230-1350

Wilson: Rayonnant Style is the French Gothic Paradigm

Early Gothic1140-90

Wilson: Rayonnant Gothic in France begins with St.-Denis in 1230s

choir 1140-44

old upper stories of choir

new upper stories of choiras redesigned in 1231façade 1130s

as completed in 1150s(hypothetical)

upper part of choir b. in 1231enhanced tracery (graduated bar tracery)

glazed triforium

Detail of bar tracery on Ste.-Chapelle, Paris

Wilson: Rayonnant Gothic in France begins with St.-Denis in 1230s

St.-Denis, upper choir begun in1231 and the other bays of the nave in 1250

façade 1200-1445 south transept 1258-60

Rayonnant style at Nôtre-Dame

Nôtre-Dame – south transept

designed in 1258-60 by Jean de Chelles

Squaring the rose

Rim of rose is just another tracery bar

Rose linked to the square by traceried spandrels

Spandrels

two-light windows as petals of rose

Nôtre-Dame – north transept rose window

Strasbourg Cathedral, nave 1240-45 west façade b. 1277

Strasbourg Cathedral, nave 1240-45 west façade b. 1277

Late Romanesque choir and transept, 1220s

Strasbourg CathedralReims Cathedral, France

Strasbourg’s width is 36 m (118’), while Reims’ is 30 m (98’)Strasbourg’s height is 38 m. (125’), whereas Reims’ is 32 m. (105’).

Strasbourg Cathedral, west façade b. 1277