Gothic Art in Germany & the Holy Roman Empire

Gothic architecture flourished during the high and late medieval period in the Holy Roman Empire, from approximately 1140-1400. 

Evolving from the prior Romanesque style, the Gothic style is particularly renowned for its enormous cathedrals, such as the Liebfrauenkirche (German for Church of Our Lady) c. 1233-1283 in Trier, which is known as one of the most important early Gothic cathedrals in Germany.

The Church of Our Lady is the oldest Gothic church in Germany, built in the 13th century. A special feature is the cruciform floor plan. The south part of the Roman double church was torn down around 1200 and completely replaced by the Early Gothic Church of Our Lady (Liebfrauen). Nothing above the surface is Roman any more, but there are extensive excavations (not open to the public) underneath the church and several of the Gothic pillars stand on top of Roman column foundations. The floor plan resembles a twelve-petaled rose, a symbol of the Virgin Mary, and reminiscent of the twelve tribes of Israel and the Twelve Apostles. The apostles as well as the twelve articles of the Apostle's Creed are painted on the twelve supporting columns, completely visible only from one spot marked by a black stone. The intriguing optics are matched by splendid acoustics.

The Gothic style revolutionized architecture by innovating structural designs such as the adopted of "ribbed vaults" which were intersecting roof sections that allowed more stability as well as being lighter than previous designs. 

Ribbed vaults gave rise to "flying buttresses" which were angled supports that could be enhanced with decorated "pinnacles" and allow more support for the structure. With these two innovations, buildings could construct lighter and taller buildings that ever before.


Pointed arches effectively distributed the force of heavier ceilings and bulkier designs, and could support much more weight than previous, simple pillars.
The gothic arch wasn't just a workhorse. It had an aesthetic value and beauty which influenced many other features of gothic design - most notably the vaulted ceiling.


Vaulted ceilings utilised the technology of the pointed arch to spread force and weight from upper floors. The arch also provided the impression of height and magnificence, giving the vaulted ceiling a feeling of grandeur and elegance. The distribution of force within the vaulted ceiling enabled vaults to be built in different shapes and sizes, too. Previously, vaults could only have been circular or rectangular. The elevation of a Gothic cathedral interior draws the gaze to the highest point in the vault, in an irresistible upward pull symbolic of the Christian hope of leaving the terrestrial world for a heavenly realm.

Cologne Cathedral

Altarpiece of Cologne Cathedral by Stephan Lochner (c.1500)

Construction of Cologne Cathedral commenced in 1248 and was halted in 1473, leaving it unfinished. Work restarted in the 19th century and was completed, to the original plan, in 1880. Despite having been left incomplete during the medieval period, Cologne Cathedral eventually became unified as a masterpiece of exceptional intrinsic value and a powerful testimony to the strength and persistence of Christian belief in medieval and modern Europe. 

Gargoyles have a practical purpose: they're spouts, enabling rainwater to drain off the roof and gush through their mouths, before plummeting to the ground. However, gargoyles had another intended purpose: to strike fear into the hearts of ill-educated Medieval peasants, scaring them into the church or cathedral. Many gargoyles include elements of the grotesque: exaggerated, evil features or threatening poses, which would have leered down from on-high. 
In a world marked with fear and superstition, these creepy creatures would have encouraged many to seek safety inside of a church or cathedral protected from the demons and ghouls which roamed outside. The gargoyle is one of the defining characteristics of gothic architecture.

Gothic art evolved concurrent with Gothic architecture but it was initially tied to architecture and predominantly served for decoration of the churches and cathedrals. Thus Gothic art mediums (sculpture, panel painting, stained glass, fresco and illuminated manuscripts) were dominated by religious motifs inspired by the Biblical stories.

The early Gothic sculptures were still formally integrated in the architecture. The sculptural elements began to protrude from their architectural background in the 13th century and sculpture developed into an independent art form by the 14th century. Gothic sculptures from the 14th century onwards reflected a tendency toward realism. 

Gothic painting was greatly influenced by the manuscript illumination, in first place by the miniatures named after red lead known as minium which was next to burnished gold the most popular background color of the miniatures. Manuscript illumination reached its golden age during the Gothic period.

However, after the invention of the printing press by Johannes Gutenberg in 1440 the illuminated manuscripts began to decline and with them also the art of miniature.

In the Gothic period, stained glass became an integral part of religious architecture and a more prominent artist medium. The stained glass conveyed God's presence through a display of light and color. 

Peter Hemmel von Andlau 

References:

http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/239728/Gothic-art

Chapuis, Julien. "Gothic Art". In Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 
2000–. http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/mgot/hd_mgot.htm (October 2002)

http://www.medievaltimes.info/medieval-art-and-architecture/gothic-art-and-architecture/

Adams, Laurie. "A History Of Western Art", fifth edition. City University of New York. (2011)