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Gothic Art

891 artworks, 248 artists
Gothic style followed the Romanesque style.
Originating in the mid-12th century in the north of France, in the 13th century it spread to the territory of modern Germany, Austria, the Czech Republic, Spain and England, and by the end of the 14th century it reached Italy.

The longest reign of the Gothic style was observed in Eastern Europe – until the 16th century.
The term “Gothic”, first of all, refers to architecture; the main type of Gothic building is cathedral.
Its typical elements are pointed arches, flying buttresses, large height structures, and stained-glass decorations.

Gothic style found its representation in painting as well.

The main features of the Gothic style: severity, pomposity, majesty, spirituality.

Typical subjects and themes: religious subjects, the Last Judgment, sins, knights, graceful ladies, statesmen on the verge of making important decisions depicted in official strict poses.

Its colors are the Baroque tones with predominant noble shades of vinaceous, green, gold, rich and vibrant. Pointed and somewhat angular forms prevail.

The International Gothic (“soft style”, “court Gothic”) is a subtype of the classical Gothic style, the transition period to the Renaissance; it developed in Burgundy, Bohemia and Northern Italy in 1380—1430.

Pictures in the court Gothic style are a cross between ordinary painting and medieval icon.
The works are brighter and less disturbing, they can simply serve as decorations. The outfits of the subjects are magnificent, as are the interiors around.

The works created in the Gothic style after the 16th century are considered neo-Gothic.

Stained glass is an important direction of Gothic art. Stained glass windows adorned the cathedrals and sometimes the palaces of wealthy people. For some time, they had supplanted frescoes, which became fashionable again in the Renaissance.

Gothic writing is a set of handwriting of the Middle Ages. Letters were written with special strict curls. Printed Gothic fonts later appeared. They were used in the famous Gutenberg Bible.

Significant Gothic paintings:
Master Theodoric. Pictorial decoration of the Chapel of the Holy Cross at Karlštejn Castle, near Prague (c. 1357)
Petrus Christus. Portrait of a Young Girl, c. 1450
Portrait of the English King Edward I Plantagenet (unknown artist, presumably the 13th century).

Gothic style stained-glass windows: a stained-glass window in the Cathedral of Chartres “Our Lady with the Child”, stained-glass windows of the Reims Cathedral.

Gothic architecture: Cologne Cathedral, Doge’s Palace in Venice, Cathedral of Santa Maria del Mar in Barcelona, Latin Cathedral in Lviv.

Gothic style artists: The Limburg Brothers, Petrus Christus, Meister FranckeAntonio Pisanello (part of his ouevre)
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