Gothic Sculpture: History, Characteristics, and Regional Styles
Gothic Sculpture
Historical Context
The Gothic style, originating in France and spreading throughout Europe, flourished from the late 12th to the 15th century. This period marked a shift in thinking, moving away from an exclusive focus on God to embrace humanity and the natural world. Art became more naturalistic, reflecting a renewed interest in nature.
The late Middle Ages witnessed the awakening of humanism. In sculpture, figures began to exhibit lifelike qualities, tilting, turning, interacting, and conveying emotions. This triumph of naturalism and humanism was fueled by a resurgence of Aristotelian philosophy through the works of Saint Thomas Aquinas.
The rise of cities played a crucial role in this artistic and cultural transformation. Cities attracted rural populations, leading to new social structures that fostered a demand for richer art and ornamentation. The cathedral, the most iconic example of Gothic architecture, became the heart of the city and the center of medieval life.
Characteristics
Gothic sculpture is characterized by constant evolution. In the late 12th century, it began to diverge from Romanesque styles, and by the 13th century, elongated figures with simple folds and ornamentation became popular. The second half of the 14th century saw the emergence of the International Style, featuring elongated figures with intricately folded garments.
Naturalism in depicting figures continued to grow, resulting in increasingly lifelike representations. Compositions with multiple figures often depicted interactions and conveyed narratives. Gothic art emphasized storytelling, primarily through religious themes. Common subjects included the crucified Christ, the Virgin and Child, and the Pietà (Virgin Mary holding the dead body of Jesus).
Reliefs on Temple Facades
- Tympanum: Divided into horizontal strips or friezes, the tympanum’s narrative decoration became more focused in the Gothic period, often depicting Christ, the Virgin Mary, or other biblical scenes.
- Archivolts: Unlike the vertical sculptural decoration of the Romanesque period, Gothic archivolts featured longitudinal ornamentation.
- Jambs: Jambs were adorned with sculpted columns, often placed on shelves and sheltered under canopies decorated with Gothic tracery.
- Trumeau: The central pillar supporting the tympanum, known as the trumeau, often featured statues of the Virgin Mary, Christ, or patron saints, also under a canopy of Gothic tracery.
New Genres in Gothic Sculpture
- Altarpieces: These became a highly original form of European Gothic sculpture. Initially small, they grew in size throughout the late Middle Ages. Altarpieces consisted of wooden or alabaster frames divided into compartments containing free-standing statues, reliefs, and paintings depicting scenes related to the patron saint, the Virgin Mary, or other religious narratives.
- Choir Stalls: Artists adorned choir stalls with intricate carvings, often depicting both religious and secular themes.
- Tombs: Tombs gained significance as reflections of individualism and the growing desire to leave a lasting legacy. They became elaborate works of art, often featuring sculpted figures of the deceased.
Gothic Sculpture in France
As the birthplace of Gothic art, France set the stylistic standards that other countries would adapt and interpret. In the 13th century, sculptural decoration focused on the grand portals of cathedrals like Chartres, which showcased a transition from Romanesque to Gothic, and Notre-Dame in Paris, where scenes unfolded in parallel strips, such as the Last Judgment on the central tympanum and scenes from the life of the Virgin Mary and Saint Anne on the side portals.
The 14th century saw a continuation of established formulas, with an emphasis on decorative elements, refined elegance, and the stylized figures of the International Style. In the late Gothic period, Claus Sluter emerged as a prominent figure, introducing the intense naturalism of the Netherlands to France. His works, such as the Well of Moses at the Chartreuse de Champmol, featured expressive figures like the Old Testament patriarchs, blending realism with spiritual grandeur.
Gothic Sculpture in Spain
While early 13th-century Romanesque sculpture in Spain displayed naturalism, Gothic influences became more pronounced with the arrival of French artisans commissioned to work on major cathedrals. Examples include the Cathedral of Burgos, the three main portals of the Cathedral of León, and the Puerta del Reloj (Clock Gate) of Toledo Cathedral.
The 14th century witnessed a decline in Spanish Gothic sculpture, marked by mannerism and repetition. The facade of Toledo Cathedral exemplifies this phase. However, the 15th century marked a resurgence, with influences from Burgundy and Flanders. Architectural lines became less defined as the human form was enveloped in elaborate drapery, creating a proto-Baroque aesthetic. Notable artists of this period include Pere Johan (Saint George at the Palau de la Generalitat in Barcelona) and Simón de Colonia (sculptural decoration of the facade of San Pablo Church in Valladolid).
Gil de Siloé, active in Castile, particularly Burgos, emerged as the most renowned sculptor of the late 15th century. He is considered the foremost representative of the Isabelline Gothic style, as seen in his altarpiece for the Colegio de San Gregorio in Valladolid.
Gothic Sculpture in the Rest of Europe
The main characteristics of German sculpture is deeply expressive and strong naturalism, realism, almost to be authentic portraits, and the Baroque, especially in the corners folded clothes (home of the Bamberg Cathedral).
Sentences in Italy are full copies Gothic, since from the beginning are the classic ways that allow us to speak of a protorrenacimiento since the thirteenth century. Nicola Pisano is especially noteworthy in the pulpit of the baptistery of the cathedral of Pisa.