Gothic Art

Dark, rich colors, heavy structures, metal embellishments, and gargoyles all come to mind when thinking of Gothic style. These descriptions pretty much held true when studying this unit. The Gothic period began in the mid-12th century and lasted until the end of the 15th or 16th century. I thought it was interesting that its name was given by critics who scorned the art of this period because it didn’t hold to the standards of ancient Greek and Roman art. It was named after Goths and Barbarians that brought the fall of Rome. So basically, its name derived from an insult. The cathedrals are evidence of this gothic style. I enjoyed making the rose windows and especially liked the contrast of the bright “stained glass” colors against the black.