Studies in Medieval Art

3 units

Following its emergence in Paris during the mid-twelfth century, the Gothic style revolutionized church architecture, transforming ecclesiastical art and design throughout Europe. This course examines Gothic buildings from diverse perspectives in order to understand their achievements in engineering and aesthetics, their relationship to social and intellectual developments in medieval society, and their impact on subsequent eras of art. The Gothic cathedral is explored as a site of social union and division; as a space which aimed to mirror the divine realm of Heaven; as a frame to support political and religious ideologies; and as the realization of technological advancements in geometry, design, and construction. We trace the spread of the Gothic style from thirteenth-century France, through England, Germany, Bohemia, Italy, and the Levant. Gothic revivals in nineteenth- to twentieth-century Europe and the United States are also addressed, with special attention paid to the tradition of Collegiate Gothic architecture on the campus of Washington University.