An analysis of the Gothic art movement and its evolution

to contemporary Gothic, with a focus on the influences

before and after its realisation.

Name of Student: Dayle Sanders

Course Code: CG Arts & Animation - Year One
Date of completion: Tuesday 3rd May 2011
Date of submission: Friday 6th May 2011
Word Count: 2,426
Tutor: Phil Gomm

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This written assignment will be analysing the Gothic art movement
and its evolution to contemporary Gothic. The Gothic movement is
a movement linked to an atmosphere dark, morbid and mysterious.
Although Gothic and Contemporary-Gothic art share many bases, it
has grown to become much more expressive and outgoing. It
continues to evolve and many people in today's society are driven
by it craving the social trends. Catherine Spooner's book
Contemporary Gothic, Jerrold E. Hogle's book The Cambridge
companion to gothic fiction, and Hieronymus Bosch's painting, The
Temptation of St. Anthony, 1495-1515, oil on panel, 131.5 × 119 cm
have been selected to demonstrate this growth in the movement.
Gothic has gone through significant phases yet still holds a strong
Fig 1. The Romanesque cathedral,
identity to the beliefs and values of the style. Vezelay, 1100.

Romanesque was a style of art that followed on from the Byzantine period from the 10th to the
mid-12th century. It was generally based on other previous trends, as it "is not a single style,
but an infinity of styles" (Fossi, 2008:10), however, but by being dominated by the religious
beliefs of the time. Specifically, the term "Romanesque" refers to the connection with the
Roman architecture, and buildings would vary in form: Round arches, like Roman buildings,
and decorated column capitals (fig 1 & 2). What should
be noted is how the artists of this period "created such
elaborate artworks and erect such daring buildings,
almost in emulation of Roman architecture, in an era
where material scarcity must have existed". (Fossi,
2008:16) It is believed Romanesque artists were starting
to find ways to express themselves and their feelings
about their themes in their work. The explicit message of
Romanesque seems to be edging towards the ideals of
the Gothic art movement. It is clear these Religious Fig 2. The Cologne Cathedral, Germany, 1880. It is the
largest Gothic cathedral in Northern Europe.
beliefs may have led to the construction of a building
high enough in order to get closer to heaven - artists

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were fascinated by these two juxtaposed art styles, and this gave them ideas to emphasise the
grandeur and power of the church itself.

Gothic was a style of art that followed on from the Romanesque period between the 12th and
16th century. The term was originally used in a pejorative sense, derived from the name of the
Goths - a people regarded as 'barbaric' by the Romans. Gothic art was therefore thought to
have been the work of barbarians to the Italians of the Renaissance, as it would have resulted
from the neglect of technical and aesthetic canons of Greco-Roman. The usage of the meaning
is synonymous with Gothic abundance of details, rich decor and ornaments, ranging from
paintings, sculptures and architect. In contrast to the previous period: the Roman period.
Indeed, it began to spread rapidly in Europe during the first half of the twelfth century, where it
"changed, developed and accrued multiple layers of meaning" (Spooner, 2006:9) taking over
with a certain aesthetic and drift of dark romanticism - the beginnings of imagination, dark
fantasy, and Gothic literature. It is thought that the romance grew dark as opposed to a
'classical' culture. Its central themes are suffering due to impotence of the individual against his
fate and forces beyond his understanding, the transience of beauty, unable to reach the ideal,
loneliness, decay, nature of evil and, in general, thinking about life and death. However,
romance is not necessarily pessimistic, dark or macabre. It is mainly the result of a perception
of the reality of the human condition.

Architecture flourished throughout the Christian world,

and this common style was called "International Gothic".
However it is more secular, so the Artists of this style
were typically depicting themes of refined "courtly
elegance and delicate "natural" details and blended
'Italian Naturalism'". (Folkenroth, 2004). Gothic art was -
and is still - a movement extremely revolved around Fig 3. Notre Dame de Paris (French for Our Lady of Paris),
1345. It is one of many cathedrals to have been effected by
religion, but it began to touch the realm of the sacred the restoration/revival movement.

and the profane. International Gothic emphasises, first,

the continuity with the tradition of Gothic art, and secondly emphasises the multiplicity and the
international processing which centres around the new alternative to the renaissance. The new

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aspects included the grotesque exaggerations and idealised atmosphere of a new aristocratic
preference for a peaceful and elegant narrative, to the travels of artists and the circulation of
works, including sketchbooks, manuscripts and precious objects and refined to the
dissemination of this style. Arguably, the language of international Gothic was a difficult time in
European history, possibly due to its spread of a new religious sensibility. The economic and
social disruptions were followed by a period of pestilence and famine, and the architecture not
only evoked a fairy-tale atmosphere, it compensated in the discomfort of real life. Through
sculptures and paintings, a message was being carried: One of an eschatological world. This
constantly evoked the presence of imminent death to people of the middle ages. Especially as it
was thought life expectancy was about thirty years. People were trying to move on from the
"Dark Ages" - a history containing many wars and blood prior to the movement. As for the
"level of illiteracy of the times, such art served to educate the uninitiated and resulted in the
conversion of many more to the burgeoning faith." (Knickerbocker, 2002). Consequently, this
educated people to maintain a social harmony in society. "Gothic" was kept in a secure world
where it could be expressed through art or literature. This meditated the worlds of the real and
unreal.

Bosch’s painting is clearly sacrilegious

yet it is obviously well thought out. It
acts as a triptych - the art extends
across three panels - and it addresses
another passion: the beauty of evil.
There is an atmosphere of heresy
and mysticism which he draws new
inspiration, working towards a
Fig 4. Bosch's The temptation of St. Anthony, 1495-1515.
religion which confronts both sin and
damnation. The artists choice of language contains themes of passion and suffering. The "tragic
view of human existence, dwelling upon the triumph of sin" is "strikingly free, and his [Bosch's]
symbolism, unforgettably vivid." (Pioch, 2002). For example the colours within the piece
compliment and support the painting's composition, such as the heavy use of black, and the

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bloody red hue trailing across the bottom of all three panels. As for the subjects in the piece,
the sky is populated by monstrous creatures, representing a more native theme of the Gothic.
In the right panel, the naked woman, which probably represents the temptation of the flesh, is
half hidden in the branches of one of the innumerable dry trees that populate the universe of
Bosch. The remaining victims look as if they are suffering or burning with sickness, feverish and
desperate. This is a very strange and symbolic combination, a result of Bosch's expression of
"intense pessimism and reflects the anxieties of his time, one of social and political upheaval."
(Pioch, 2002). These "religious visions--in particular with the torments of hell" (Pioch, 2002),
although fragmented, may explain how his work has impacted the way we think about the
Gothic. His "fantasies are curiously up to date." (Pioch, 2002).

It is assumed that the first Gothic novel was The Castle of Otranto by Walpole (1764). The novel
tells the story of Manfred, his castle, and his family, and it contains various elements inspiring
"all kinds of revenants and returns from the dead" (Spooner, 2006:10). But what really makes
the novel famous is its set pieces; from sounds to beasts, mythical creatures, Nymphs, and
spirits, pushing past the framework of reality. It carefully describes the cemeteries, hills
battered by the wind, misty valleys, castles, caves and dark alleys
of cities growing in the middle and late nineteenth century. It
concentrates on folklore and mythology to create a work of
literary fiction in which the alleged evil creatures (which are
often human beings) conspire against the heroes, filled with
unexplained scenes, dark corridors, very convenient
coincidences, fainting, good feelings and an underlying
sensuality. Even the characters and their interactions preserve a
level of "Gothic bite": Relationships between man and woman
torn between reason and passion, put in recurring situations:
Theft, persecution, incest, rape, murder, revenge, and
premonitions. Many other novels of this time contained a similar

texture. It is believed that Walpole's Gothic novel is also Fig 5. Horace Warpole's novel The Castle of Otranto,
1764.
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associated with the rediscovery of Gothic architecture in England and more generally to the
craze for the past.

In the 13th century, Gothic culture reached its apogee. In the 15th
century it became the "Gothic Revival", especially marked in
architecture. This inspired medieval architecture back into fashion by
European architects. The movement for restoration appearing in France.
Architect Viollet le Duc was known by the general public for his
restorations of medieval buildings, notably the cathedral Notre-Dame de
Paris, in 1843 (fig 3). "Each generation took the majesty and grace of
architecture, sculpture, and other renovations to new heights"
(Knickerbocker, 2002). However, contemporary-Gothic is considered the
rebirth of public and Religious architecture. It is not simply a faithful
reconstruction of the architecture of any on period, but "one which Fig 6. This Japanese girl is dressed in Gothic
Lolita fashion. Gothic fashion is popular
had won the favour of Religious orders." (Marsan, 1990:193) An across the world, especially in cartoons, and
in people's daily life.
eclectic interpretation focused mainly on the concept of
ornamentation of buildings to recreate that magical and intriguing which is characteristic of the
medieval world. A world in which the "design of public buildings continued for the time being to
be inspired by [many periods, but particularly] romantic classicism imbued with Greek Revival".
(Marsan, 1990:193). The trend gradually died out in 1830, however in continental Europe, it
moved on to become a popular fantasy. People began to understand the artistic and romantic
sensibility in direct relationship with this famous period. Therefore it is possible - for this
reason, that in matters of literature - the Gothics always prefer to read
books relevant to the Middle Ages. This could affirm its refusal to be
like the mass, to share with others an attraction to other artistic
interests due to its ideological framework of reality. Gothic and dark-
Romanticism are regarded as "twin impulses, often proceeding from
the same set of ideas or coexisting within the same texts" (Spooner,
2006:28): the exaltation of sentiment, the revaluation of the Middle
Ages, the provision to the dream and a more intimate and immediate

Fig 7. Floria Sigismondi is a very famous

Canadian photographer and director who
6 uses dark and jittery camerawork's. She
works closely with some of the biggest films
in Hollywood today.
conversation with nature. A fascination with the Middle Ages viewed sympathetically by the
younger generation of today.

Contemporary Gothic has now become a whole culture, with its own references, e.g. in the
punk music movement, post-punk and new wave, inspired initially from the German
Expressionist cinema. Robert Wiene's The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, 1920, And Fritz Lang's
Metropolis, 1927 greatly influenced audiences of early 20th century with an aesthetic of the
macabre. Gothic subculture appeals to all types of crowds, especially the younger generation
across the globe (fig 4). One critic noted "the role of the Gothic, is figuratively to embody an
intergenerational tendency when the son finds himself, to his horror, transformed into the very
father whose fanaticism he had vehemently rejected." (Hogle, 2002:174) The Gothic style in
which these musical influences are reflected topics in the texts have a symbolic significance on
the existential problems. It is clear that individuality is a fundamental aspect in the modern
Gothic world. This modern "Gothic" could be a signal by which we want to remain adolescent,
just as much as it may have been back in the middle ages with the fear of dying. Now, heavy
rhythms are atmospheric, dark and gloomy, plaintive songs, the lyrics are disturbing and
profound. They are about love and the wounds of the soul, life and its mysteries - very similar
to the central themes expressed by Bosch and Walpole, but with a seemingly magnified and
developed expression of our era.

Gothic fashion is changing little by little with the media and public
recognition. It then integrates various elements from fantasy, either
with the release of new video games which led to a lot of "Goth
gamers", or through film or literature - such as Dracula by Bram

Stoker - all these new elements greatly enrich the Gothic mode. Fig 8. Marilyn Manson is a very famous
American musician known for his Gothic
The movement now celebrates art in all its forms - not just as an appearance and controversial stage persona.
artform - but in poetry with the like of Baudelaire and Oscar
Wilde, romantic literature such as the work of Edgar Alan Poe,
Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, and other works by Fritz Lang including "Nosferatu," with David
Lynch's "Eraserhead" and painters such as works by Dali and Klimt. Critics believe that celebrity
figures such as Floria Sigismondi, and Brian Hugh Warner (better known as Marilyn Manson), to
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name a few, have brought to our society an "attack of the Gothic" which "has infiltrated our
culture and fractured any ideologically "natural" state of personal or social well-being." (Hogle,
2002:261). But ultimately "contemporary critics would like to see gothic: as a marginal genre,
invested with subversive potential; a form in which the dark unconscious desires of our pleasure-
seeking society are exposed and dissected." (Spooner, 2006:25).

Although there are evident sociological differences between Medieval Gothic and
contemporary Gothic, figures in both periods were beginning to express themselves within
their works. Where Medieval Gothic was a time of sheer sophistication and elegance,
contemporary Gothic become more than the sum of its parts. Now, it is both a lifestyle and a
philosophy whose roots are firmly anchored in the past and present. It is a subculture that has
emerged, flourished and died only to reappear in many eras and in many societies. It regards
aestheticism and theatricality of everyday life, with a strong attraction for the dark elements,
macabre, sometimes provocative. The main idea that characterises this culture is a creative
instinct and a need for compulsive expression, seeking to reach his audience through the
attraction of all that is dark and scary.

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List of Illustrations

Fig 1. The Romanesque cathedral, Vezelay (1100) Example of a Romanesque cathedral

[Photograph] At:
http://v21.lscache4.c.bigcache.googleapis.com/static.panoramio.com/photos/original/1247196
0.jpg (Accessed on 03:05:11) pp. 2

Fig 2. The Cologne Cathedral, Germany. (1880) Example of a Gothic Cathedral [Photograph] At:
http://pictures.wcunningham.com/germany2004files/DSC_4368s.jpg (Accessed on 03:05:11)
pp. 2

Fig 3. Notre Dame Cathedral, Paris. (1345) (French for Our Lady of Paris) Example of a cathedral
after revival. [Photograph] At: http://www.marie-stuart.co.uk/images/NotreDame2.jpg
(Accessed on 03:05:11) pp. 3

Fig 4. Bosch, Hieronymus. (1495-1515) The temptation of St. Anthony [Oil Painting] At:
http://www.leninimports.com/hieronymus_jerome_bosch_sculpture_picture_5.jpg (Accessed
on 03:05:11) pp. 4

Fig 5. Warpole, Horace. (1764) The Castle of Otranto [Concept] At:

http://hbenjaminpetrie.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/CastleOtranto.jpg (Accessed on
03:05:11) pp. 5

Fig 6. Japanese Lolita (2008) [Photograph] At:

http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj234/Lolita-Handbook/scans/muier_noir/52efd1b1-1.jpg
(Accessed on 03:05:11) pp. 6

Fig 7. Floria Sigismondi (2011) Floria Sigismondi [Photograph] At:

http://www.commeaucinema.com/images/galerie/big/128081_3eb3dbb92751af28c875556f52
655f26.jpg (Accessed on 03:05:11) pp. 6

Fig 8. Marilyn Manson (2011) Marilyn Manson [Photograph] At:

http://images2.layoutsparks.com/1/54053/marilyn-manson-20-guy.jpg (Accessed on 03:05:11)
pp. 7

Bibliography

Monnet, S, Agnieszka. (2010) The Poetics and Politics of the American Gothic: Gender and
Slavery in Nineteenth-Century American Literature. England: Ashgate Publishing

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Folkenroth, Caroline. (2004) The History of Gothic Art, The Art History Archive - Gothic Culture.
http://www.arthistoryarchive.com/arthistory/gothic/arthistory_gothicart.html (Accessed on
03:05:11)

Spooner, Catherine. (2006) Contemporary Gothic. London: Reaktion Books

Knickerbocker, Eric. (2002) Byzantine, Romanesque, and Gothic: Three Art Periods and Their
Histories. http://www.mrrena.com/misc/art.shtml (Accessed on 03:05:11)

Fossi, Gloria. (2008) Romanesque & Gothic. Canada: Sterling Publishing

Marsan, Jean-Claude. (1990) Montreal in Evolution. Canada: McGill-Queen's University Press

Hogle, Jerrold. (2002) The Cambridge companion to gothic fiction. UK: Cambridge University
Press

Pioch, Nicolas. (2002) Bosch, Hieronymus. http://www.ibiblio.org/wm/paint/auth/bosch/

(Accessed on 03:05:11)

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