Catalan Gothic
Encyclopedia
The Catalan Gothic is an artistic style, with particular characteristics in the field of architecture
, which occurred in the Crown of Aragon
between the 13th and 15th, i.e. the end of Gothic Europe, which gets its name, and at the beginning of the Renaissance
. The name "Catalan Gothic" is bounded especially to Barcelona
and its area of influence (former Comarca of Barcelona), which hosts its own characteristics.
Despite its name, the Catalan Gothic differs of the Gothics
from other parts of Europe. In architecture, for example, does not seek excessive height, not highlights in its flying buttresses and yes for its very sober decoration.
The style began because of the wealth generated by the expansion of the Crown of Aragon, first to the Languedoc
and then across the Mediterranean to Sicily
, the Kingdom of Naples
and the Duchy of Athens
. The society of the time demand a renewal of the old Romanesque
buildings and new public buildings to new institutions and services. Reaches its climax in the 15th century, although the Catholic Monarchs
has united the Crowns of Castile and Aragon to the detriment of the second, which was denied initially trade with America
if it was through the port of Seville
.
, struts), are many the differences.
Thus the Catalan Gothic not looking for a great height, but tends to match the dimensions of width and height, use covered almost flat against the towering slopes so characteristic of central and northern Europe, so it does not have large gaps because the Mediterranean light is much stronger than the rest of Europe, or with vast buttresses for its naves are almost equal in height, no decorated its pillars with figurative motifs and not notable for the intricacy of its vaults.
The main features of Catalan Gothic, compared with the international Gothic, are:
In sculpture
and painting
the peculiarities of Catalan Gothic are definitely not as marked and fully inscribed in the international sphere, either in Italian style or Flemish style. Among the painters must cite Ferrer Bassa
, Pere Serra
, Lluís Borrassà, Bernat Martorell, Lluís Dalmau
and Jaume Huguet
.
. The towers, usually one or two, stand out as smooth polygonal prisms (6 sides, 8 sides), and there are no transept
s as such, something different are the churches of Templar base, which use plants in Greek cross.
The abutments creates two effects, in addition to its role in bracing the walls. On the drawing
distinguish the chapels, so that the elevations of the building are continuous and visually smooth by outside, at the height of a person, also when these appear on the main facade, create a rectangle that frames the doorway, and sometimes a rose window.
In the downstairs are the facilities belonging to business owners, with the office in semiplant, if any. The first floor or noble is reserved for housing, whose main hall, richly decorated, it attaches to the facade, sometimes occupying it entirely. The following story contains service rooms and secondary units. Some palaces have small towers from watching over the city rooftops.
sent a board of architects to address them.
Other good examples are:
Architecture
Architecture is both the process and product of planning, designing and construction. Architectural works, in the material form of buildings, are often perceived as cultural and political symbols and as works of art...
, which occurred in the Crown of Aragon
Crown of Aragon
The Crown of Aragon Corona d'Aragón Corona d'Aragó Corona Aragonum controlling a large portion of the present-day eastern Spain and southeastern France, as well as some of the major islands and mainland possessions stretching across the Mediterranean as far as Greece...
between the 13th and 15th, i.e. the end of Gothic Europe, which gets its name, and at the beginning of the Renaissance
Renaissance
The Renaissance was a cultural movement that spanned roughly the 14th to the 17th century, beginning in Italy in the Late Middle Ages and later spreading to the rest of Europe. The term is also used more loosely to refer to the historical era, but since the changes of the Renaissance were not...
. The name "Catalan Gothic" is bounded especially to Barcelona
Barcelona
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
and its area of influence (former Comarca of Barcelona), which hosts its own characteristics.
Despite its name, the Catalan Gothic differs of the Gothics
Gothic art
Gothic art was a Medieval art movement that developed in France out of Romanesque art in the mid-12th century, led by the concurrent development of Gothic architecture. It spread to all of Western Europe, but took over art more completely north of the Alps, never quite effacing more classical...
from other parts of Europe. In architecture, for example, does not seek excessive height, not highlights in its flying buttresses and yes for its very sober decoration.
Historical context
Languedoc
Languedoc is a former province of France, now continued in the modern-day régions of Languedoc-Roussillon and Midi-Pyrénées in the south of France, and whose capital city was Toulouse, now in Midi-Pyrénées. It had an area of approximately 42,700 km² .-Geographical Extent:The traditional...
and then across the Mediterranean to Sicily
Sicily
Sicily is a region of Italy, and is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Along with the surrounding minor islands, it constitutes an autonomous region of Italy, the Regione Autonoma Siciliana Sicily has a rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature,...
, the Kingdom of Naples
Kingdom of Naples
The Kingdom of Naples, comprising the southern part of the Italian peninsula, was the remainder of the old Kingdom of Sicily after secession of the island of Sicily as a result of the Sicilian Vespers rebellion of 1282. Known to contemporaries as the Kingdom of Sicily, it is dubbed Kingdom of...
and the Duchy of Athens
Duchy of Athens
The Duchy of Athens was one of the Crusader States set up in Greece after the conquest of the Byzantine Empire during the Fourth Crusade, encompassing the regions of Attica and Boeotia, and surviving until its conquest by the Ottoman Empire in the 15th century....
. The society of the time demand a renewal of the old Romanesque
Romanesque
Romanesque may refer to:*Romanesque art, the art of Western Europe from approximately AD 1000 to the 13th century or later*Romanesque architecture, architecture of Europe which emerged in the late 10th century and lasted to the 13th century...
buildings and new public buildings to new institutions and services. Reaches its climax in the 15th century, although the Catholic Monarchs
Catholic Monarchs
The Catholic Monarchs is the collective title used in history for Queen Isabella I of Castile and King Ferdinand II of Aragon. They were both from the House of Trastámara and were second cousins, being both descended from John I of Castile; they were given a papal dispensation to deal with...
has united the Crowns of Castile and Aragon to the detriment of the second, which was denied initially trade with America
Americas
The Americas, or America , are lands in the Western hemisphere, also known as the New World. In English, the plural form the Americas is often used to refer to the landmasses of North America and South America with their associated islands and regions, while the singular form America is primarily...
if it was through the port of Seville
Seville
Seville is the artistic, historic, cultural, and financial capital of southern Spain. It is the capital of the autonomous community of Andalusia and of the province of Seville. It is situated on the plain of the River Guadalquivir, with an average elevation of above sea level...
.
Artistic context
It speaks of "Gothic style" and "Gothic city" in relation to the time frame. But not to be confused with the Gothic French, Spanish, German or another, as though it has similar traits in that at the time were the latest available technologies (arch, rose windowRose window
A Rose window is often used as a generic term applied to a circular window, but is especially used for those found in churches of the Gothic architectural style and being divided into segments by stone mullions and tracery...
, struts), are many the differences.
Thus the Catalan Gothic not looking for a great height, but tends to match the dimensions of width and height, use covered almost flat against the towering slopes so characteristic of central and northern Europe, so it does not have large gaps because the Mediterranean light is much stronger than the rest of Europe, or with vast buttresses for its naves are almost equal in height, no decorated its pillars with figurative motifs and not notable for the intricacy of its vaults.
The main features of Catalan Gothic, compared with the international Gothic, are:
| Catalan gothic | International gothic |
|---|---|
| Unitary spaces | Compartmentalized spaces |
| Compact and smooth exterior forms | Exterior forms to varying depths |
| Large smooth surfaces where the bodies of the structure just are marked with moldings Molding (decorative) Molding or moulding is a strip of material with various profiles used to cover transitions between surfaces or for decoration. It is traditionally made from solid milled wood or plaster but may be made from plastic or reformed wood... |
Lack of smooth surfaces |
| Use of wooden decks on Diaphragm arch Diaphragm arch A diaphragm arch is a transverse wall-bearing arch forming a partial wall dividing a vault or a ceiling into compartments.When used under a wooden roof, it has the advantage of providing a partial firebreak. It was first used in Roman Syria, during the 2nd century AD.... es |
Little use of this technique |
| Horizontality | Verticality |
| Finished towers in flat roofs | Pinnacles and needles |
| Independent bell tower Bell tower A bell tower is a tower which contains one or more bells, or which is designed to hold bells, even if it has none. In the European tradition, such a tower most commonly serves as part of a church and contains church bells. When attached to a city hall or other civic building, especially in... , or to the crossing Crossing (architecture) A crossing, in ecclesiastical architecture, is the junction of the four arms of a cruciform church.In a typically oriented church , the crossing gives access to the nave on the west, the transept arms on the north and south, and the choir on the east.The crossing is sometimes surmounted by a tower... or to the apse Apse In architecture, the apse is a semicircular recess covered with a hemispherical vault or semi-dome... s |
Pair of bell towers in the western façade |
| Great formal purity | Decorativism and structural upheaval |
| Almost elimination of transept Transept For the periodical go to The Transept.A transept is a transverse section, of any building, which lies across the main body of the building. In Christian churches, a transept is an area set crosswise to the nave in a cruciform building in Romanesque and Gothic Christian church architecture... s |
Prominent transepts |
| Buttress Buttress A buttress is an architectural structure built against or projecting from a wall which serves to support or reinforce the wall... es |
Flying buttress Flying buttress A flying buttress is a specific form of buttressing most strongly associated with Gothic church architecture. The purpose of any buttress is to resist the lateral forces pushing a wall outwards by redirecting them to the ground... es |
| Chapels between the buttresses | Exterior buttresses |
| Roofs | Rooftops |
| Predominantly full of gaps | Predominance of gaps filled |
| Little importance of stained glass Stained glass The term stained glass can refer to coloured glass as a material or to works produced from it. Throughout its thousand-year history, the term has been applied almost exclusively to the windows of churches and other significant buildings... es |
Big importance of stained glass Stained glass The term stained glass can refer to coloured glass as a material or to works produced from it. Throughout its thousand-year history, the term has been applied almost exclusively to the windows of churches and other significant buildings... es |
| Equalization height of the three naves | Big difference in height between naves |
| Pleasure for the only naves | Little use of the only nave |
| Great separation between pillars | Little separation between pillars |
| Use of the arch Arch An arch is a structure that spans a space and supports a load. Arches appeared as early as the 2nd millennium BC in Mesopotamian brick architecture and their systematic use started with the Ancient Romans who were the first to apply the technique to a wide range of structures.-Technical aspects:The... over the ogive Ogive An ogive is the roundly tapered end of a two-dimensional or three-dimensional object.-Applied physical science and engineering:In ballistics or aerodynamics, an ogive is a pointed, curved surface mainly used to form the approximately streamlined nose of a bullet or other projectile.The traditional... |
Almost exclusive use of the ogive Ogive An ogive is the roundly tapered end of a two-dimensional or three-dimensional object.-Applied physical science and engineering:In ballistics or aerodynamics, an ogive is a pointed, curved surface mainly used to form the approximately streamlined nose of a bullet or other projectile.The traditional... |
| Octagonal plan for a items (pillars, towers, domes, etc.) | Little use of the octagonal plan |
In sculpture
Sculpture
Sculpture is three-dimensional artwork created by shaping or combining hard materials—typically stone such as marble—or metal, glass, or wood. Softer materials can also be used, such as clay, textiles, plastics, polymers and softer metals...
and painting
Painting
Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a surface . The application of the medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush but other objects can be used. In art, the term painting describes both the act and the result of the action. However, painting is...
the peculiarities of Catalan Gothic are definitely not as marked and fully inscribed in the international sphere, either in Italian style or Flemish style. Among the painters must cite Ferrer Bassa
Ferrer Bassa
Ferrer Bassa was a Spanish Gothic painter and miniaturist.He was active in the early 14th century, as proved by two documents which attest him working in two chapels at Sitges...
, Pere Serra
Pere Serra
Pere Serra was a painter in Gothic-Italian style, who was active in Catalonia in 1357-1406.He was born into a family of painters, including his brothers Jaume, Francesc and Joan. Like most of the Catalan painters of the period, he was influenced by the contemporary Italian painting, especially...
, Lluís Borrassà, Bernat Martorell, Lluís Dalmau
Lluís Dalmau
Lluís Dalmau was a 15th-century painter in Catalonia who flourished between 1431 and 1460. A 'Virgin and Child 'by this artist is in the church of San Miguel at Barcelona; it is painted in the style of Van Eyck, and dated 1445.-References:...
and Jaume Huguet
Jaume Huguet
Jaume Huguet was a Catalan painter.Originally from Valls, he moved to Tarragona to stay with his uncle Pere Huguet, who was also a painter. When they moved to Barcelona he was exposed to modern trends of the time...
.
Church
The temples tend to unify space, which is achieved through two methods: either with slender and thin columns enough apart to not interrupt the view of any of the naves, when these are three, or constructing with a single nave of much spanSpan (architecture)
Span is the distance between two intermediate supports for a structure, e.g. a beam or a bridge.A span can be closed by a solid beam or of a rope...
. The towers, usually one or two, stand out as smooth polygonal prisms (6 sides, 8 sides), and there are no transept
Transept
For the periodical go to The Transept.A transept is a transverse section, of any building, which lies across the main body of the building. In Christian churches, a transept is an area set crosswise to the nave in a cruciform building in Romanesque and Gothic Christian church architecture...
s as such, something different are the churches of Templar base, which use plants in Greek cross.
The abutments creates two effects, in addition to its role in bracing the walls. On the drawing
Architectural drawing
An architectural drawing or architect's drawing is a technical drawing of a building that falls within the definition of architecture...
distinguish the chapels, so that the elevations of the building are continuous and visually smooth by outside, at the height of a person, also when these appear on the main facade, create a rectangle that frames the doorway, and sometimes a rose window.
Palace
The palace, larger front surface than other dwellings, is typical of 15th century bourgeois spaces like the Carrer de Montcada in Barcelona. Is characterized by having a courtyard which is accessed through a portal, which is center of the building and contains the main staircase, open or half closed.In the downstairs are the facilities belonging to business owners, with the office in semiplant, if any. The first floor or noble is reserved for housing, whose main hall, richly decorated, it attaches to the facade, sometimes occupying it entirely. The following story contains service rooms and secondary units. Some palaces have small towers from watching over the city rooftops.
Llotja
During the 15th century the Catalan Gothic was used in civil architecture, best exemplified in the Llotja of Barcelona, built between 1380 and 1392. It consisted of three naves separated by ogival arches resting on columns with beaded and flat roofs built in wood. Many features of the Barcelona Llotja was replaced in the 18th century by a neoclassical style.Examples
Examples of this art are the Cathedral of Barcelona, begun in 1298 or the Cathedral of Girona, started in 1312, which has three naves to crossing where it continues as a single width. It had technical difficulties that the Crown of AragonCrown of Aragon
The Crown of Aragon Corona d'Aragón Corona d'Aragó Corona Aragonum controlling a large portion of the present-day eastern Spain and southeastern France, as well as some of the major islands and mainland possessions stretching across the Mediterranean as far as Greece...
sent a board of architects to address them.
Other good examples are:
- Santa Maria del Mar, in BarcelonaBarcelonaBarcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
. - Palau Reial MajorPalau Reial MajorThe Palau Reial Major is a complex of historic buildings in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. It was a residence of the counts of Barcelona and, later, of the Kings of Aragon. It is composed of three distinct edifices:...
, in BarcelonaBarcelonaBarcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
. - Monastery of PedralbesMonastery of PedralbesThe Monastery of Pedralbes is a Gothic monastery in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. It is now a museum, housing collections from Barcelona City's History Museum.-History:...
, in BarcelonaBarcelonaBarcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
.