Gothic Art Essay Example for Free

Gothic Art Essay Gothic art refers to an art movement in the middle ages (Van de Bogart 70) that started in France around 1140 (the time that the ambulatory of the Church of Saint-Denis was constructed [Encarta â€Å"Gothic Art and Architecture†]) and lasted up until late 16th century throughout Europe (Encarta â€Å"Gothic Art and Architecture†). In this paper, an introduction to Gothic art, with a concentration on Gothic church architecture, shall be discussed. To effectively provide an overview of this artistic style, this paper shall tackle the following: the roots of the term, â€Å"gothic†; a discussion of the characteristics of Gothic architecture; conclusion. Explaining the Term, â€Å"Gothic† The term â€Å"gothic† was used by Giorgio Vasari (1511-1574), the Italian artist and historiographer known for this book on the famous architects, to refer to the artistic style that characterize the French churches such as the Notre Dame de Paris and the Church of Saint-Denis (Chapuis â€Å"Gothic Art†). The term came from the barbarians called Goths who were then known to lack the civility that the people â€Å"civilized† people such as the Romans ought to have. These barbarians were one of the Nordic tribes likened to that of the Vandals as despoilers (Tarnocyova 69) that brought the â€Å"civilization-filled† Roman Empire into flames (Chapuis â€Å"Gothic Art†). As such, the Goths represent a regression or at the very least a certain sort of backwardness, crudeness, and lack of refinement. In fact, the Academie dArchitecture, meeting in 1710, still described unacceptable architectural manners as â€Å"gothic† (Tarnocyova 69). Hence, the term is originally a pejorative term that intends to put down an artistic style and say that the style is at the very least barbaric and rude. The reason why Vasari charged the artistic style as â€Å"gothic† has nothing to do with the merits or demerits of the style. It also has nothing to do with the logic and ingenuity that the artistic style exhibits. Rather, Vasari, just like most people during the Renaissance, were victims of the prejudices of their period. It should be recalled that the Renaissance was characterized by despise for tradition. As such, anything that belonged to the â€Å"dark ages† cannot be considered as good and of value. It is only fairly recent that the artistic manner and beauty of the gothic period is acknowledged for all its already-perceived merits. Gothic Architecture Gothic art is widely known primarily because of Gothic architecture. In fact, as was already stated in the introduction, the beginning of the Gothic period is pegged on the time of the construction of the chevet of the Church of Saint-Denis. It was 1127 when Abbott Suger, then the Abbott of Saint-Denis who was also the confidant of French Kings like Louis VI and Louis VII (Wikipedia â€Å"Gothic Architecture†), decided to rebuild the Church of Saint-Denis. This rebuilding eventually gave way to a new art period. How was this period initiated, then? At this point, it will be worthwhile to first state the Abbot’s philosophical ideas that contributed a lot to the underlying spiritual ideology of the Gothic Saint-Denis. Abbot Suger was some sort of philosopher/theologian in his own right. Corresponding with the theologian Dionysius from Syria (whose philosophy was some sort of Neoplatonist Christianity) (Helfrich â€Å"History of Gothic Architecture†), Suger came with the theory that God could best be represented as a powerful light, as a â€Å"supernatural light† as he would call it (Helfrich â€Å"History of Gothic Architecture†), who through his omnipotence, spiritualizes everything that is material. As such, God’s church ought to be a place where light is mostly present. God’s church, being the gathering place of his people, ought to also be the place where God, as light, could put his people together represented by an enveloping light. With this in mind, Abbot Suger started rebuilding the west front of the church first (the abbot left the Carolingian nave untouched and moved to reconstruct the eastern part of the church). The initial impetus that defined the changes that the abbot did on the church was the desire to put more light on the choir. He wanted the effect of having something like a â€Å"Heavenly Jerusalem† (Tarnocyova 69) that is primarily perceived to be luminescent, in one way reflecting the glory, majesty and power of the One True God. In this way, the Church acts truly as Christ’s earthly bride, bringing heaven-on-earth, making the physical reflect what is spiritual. It was this eastern reconstruction that would eventually be considered the very first Gothic art. Putting this ideal was not an easy task to do. In the first place, the Romanesque period created bulky churches with thick walls and fewer and smaller windows. The creation of light, then, would entail an architecture that was different from what was then mainstream. It was in the face of this task that Abbot Suger’s architects thought of using a more sophisticated technology, the pointed arch. The use of the pointed arch gave the architects additional flexibility that was not accessible through the curved arches. For one, the use of the arch meant lesser lateral thrust of the roof on the walls (Chapuis, â€Å"Gothic Art†). In addition to this, the new system of ribbed vaults allowed for thinner columns, allowing the stone material of the vaults to be lighter (Chapuis, â€Å"Gothic Art†) and space to be wider. Another important technology is the flying buttress that gave support to the thinner walls. These allowed for more space and more windows to be installed in these churches. More space and more windows meant more light penetrating the Church (or, in the case of Saint-Denis, the ambulatory of the church). Thus, Suger’s ideal is now a reality and Gothic architecture, with its characteristic pointed arches, ribbed vaults, and flying buttresses, is finally born. It does not mean of course that Abbot Suger thought of Gothic architecture from a vacuum. It has to be remembered that â€Å"ribbed vaults, buttresses, clustered columns, ambulatories, wheel windows, spires and richly carved door tympanums were already features of ecclesiastical architecture† (Wikipedia â€Å"Gothic Architecture†). Even the pointed arch which is used to typify Gothic architecture is not a product of a strike of genius. Assyrian architecture already made use of pointed arches as early as 720 B. C. (Wikipedia, â€Å"Gothic Architecture†). Islamic presence in Europe, most especially in Spain, would account for the introduction of these arches in the West. What characterizes Gothic architecture then is not the presence of these individual architectural traits but the putting of these elements together forming a unique architectural style that allows for spires, space, pointed arches, ribbed vaults, grand rose windows, clustered columns, ambulatories to exist in one magnificent monument. Actually, as it could be noticed, these characteristics were put together not out of whim; Abbot Suger did not put these traits together just because. Instead, these architectural traits were utilized because of a purpose: the creation of light and space in the choir of Saint-Denis. Thus, as is always acknowledged, these beautiful architectural traits came together out of technical need. Gothic architecture then is a product of a technical and spiritual need that eventually is characterized by the typical Latin cross floor plan at the same literally showing forth height and light (Helfrich â€Å"History of Gothic Architecture†). Everything in a Gothic church shows forth height. This vertical emphasis could immediately be felt by an external viewer who may rapture in awe over the spires and pinnacles of Gothic churches. The facade as well as the entire west front of a church has pointed arches, shafts, and main arcade all of which pointing up. These amplify the already overwhelming effect of spires that unanimously bring the gazer’s eyes to heaven. Entering the Gothic church would continue that ethereal experience since the nave of a Gothic church is usually very high in proportion to its width. Upon looking up, the gazer would be led to look the ribbed vaults all of which leading to a boss in a pointing way. Not only would the gazer be enamored by the height that uplifts the spirit; there is also the magnificent ray of lights that passes through strain glasses and more magnificently through rose windows. Gothic churches are famous for these magnificent rose wheel windows the best ones such as those in Notre Dame and Chartres create the effect of the flooding of light all over the cathedral. These light rays are complemented by the large and numerous other windows in the church. The flooding of light and the univocal stress on height is again complemented by the Gothic sculpture on the tympanum or columns or totally not attached at all to architecture (Encarta â€Å"Gothic Art and Architecture†). Such architecture is characterized by naturalism at the same time the constant solemn disposition (Encarta â€Å"Gothic Art and Architecture†). Conclusion Gothic art, specifically Gothic architecture, has been created initially out of the spiritual need that Abbot Suger problematized in Saint-Denis. This was then followed by the architectural-technical need to be able to answer to this spiritual need. These series of needs brought forth the fusion which is now acknowledged to be one of the greatest styles in architecture called gothic art. Works Cited â€Å"Gothic Architecture. † Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. 2 October 2007. 5 October 2007. http://en. wikipedia.org/wiki/Gothic_architecture. â€Å"Gothic Architecture† History Link 101. January 2004. 2 October 2007. http://www. historylink101. com/lessons/art_history_lessons/ma/gothic_architecture. htm. â€Å"Gothic Art and Architecture. † Microsoft Encarta Encyclopedia, 2002. â€Å"Gothic Art. † Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. 4 October 2007. 5 October 2007. http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Gothic_art. â€Å"Parts of a Cathedral. † Medieval Time Reference. 2 October 2007. http://www. btinternet. com/~timeref/cathpart. htm Chapuis, Julien. Gothic Art. In Timeline of Art History. October 2002. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. 10 October 2007 http://www. metmuseum. org/toah/hd/mgot/hd_mgot. htm. Helfrich, Serge. History of Gothic Architecture. 10 October 2007 http://www. xs4all. nl/~helfrich/gothic/architecture. html Tarnocyova, Bronislava. †Gothic Architecture† Bratislava Leaders Magazine III (2007): 68-69. Van de Bogart, Doris. Introduction to the Humanities: Painting, Sculpture, Architecture, Music and Literature. New York: Barnes Noble, 1970.

The Power Areas of Life :: Of Water and the Spirit African Culture Essays

The Power Areas of Life The significant elements in Of Water and the Spirit were the elements that contrasted starkly with the modern world. There were many aspects of the Dagara culture that were alien to my culture. The use of and belief in magic and the supernatural ama zed me. I found an absence of secularism in the African society. The Dagara's inability to distinguish between thought and reality stunned me. The element that I chose to talk about is the strong bond displayed between the very old and the very young. This element plays a significant role in Malidoma's story, and it really made me consider the values in my society. Malidoma established the importance between the young and old early on in his narrative. He identified these two ages as the two power areas of life. In African culture the young children spend the majority of their time with their grandparents. Th ey are responsible for the rearing of the child. This relationship is established so that the child can learn from his or her wise grandparents. The bond is also important because if it is strong enough, it can be a bridge between the world of the livin g and the dead after the grandparent has passed away. Malidoma's grandfather was a very real part of Malidoma's life even after his grandfather's death. When Malidoma was in the seminary, the only tie that he had to his people and culture was his grandf ather. His grandfather, even though he had died when Malidoma was very young, was the steady and supportive force throughout Malidoma's life. When Malidoma was young he spent huge amounts of time with his grandfather. The thing that Malidoma really emphasized about their relationship, was that his grandfather always talked to him as if he were an adult. No one else treated Malidoma as if he were an adult; their bond was special. Malidoma was referred to as a brother by his grandfather. This bond of brotherhood between the elderly and child is stronger than death. In a way, it is strengthened by death. The French colonial rule was able to completely disconnect Malidoma from his family and culture. They alienated him so much, that after fifteen years away from his village, he couldn't reconnect with his people without undergoing the extensive initiation ceremony. The bond with his gra ndfather was unscathed by life with the Jesuit priests.

A Historical Overview of Christianity

Christianity is not one faith in its practice, but a diverse array of faiths that have evolved over two thousand years. What these faiths share in common is the central figure of Jesus Christ. In his day, Jesus was a polarizing figure.He was born and raised in the Jewish tradition, but was shunned by many when he proclaimed himself to be the long awaited messiah. How could a messiah come from such humble roots? He was not the image of the messiah most people at the time expected.For the Romans, Jesus posed a threat to their rule. Jesus never set out to upend the Roman state, but his growing popularity was seen as a threat none the less. Eventually he was arrested on trumped-up charges and brutally crucified.In the decades following his death his small group of apostles began constructing what we now know as the New Testament. They related the events of his life including the miracles he performed, his crucifixion and his resurrection. These writings were combined with the much older Jewish Torah and Talmud to form the Christian Bible of today.The Apostles also formed the early Christian church as a separate entity from traditional Judaism. In its remarkable history that church would suffer centuries of persecution then would rise to the heights of political and social power. It also would endure many splits. The largest single denomination within the Christian church is Catholicism.The Protestant Reformation of the middle ages would eventually spawn hundreds of new denominations. The history, theoretical perspectives and rites of each of these denominations differs from the others. All are ultimately focused on Jesus Christ as the savior through which man can be given eternal life in heaven.†¢ Subtopic 1: theoretical perspectives and development of the theologyTraditional Christian theology views God as a three-faceted entity. God the Father, God the son (Jesus) and God as the Holy Spirit comprise what is known as the godhead.In 675 A.D., The Council of Tr ent concluded that â€Å"Although we profess three persons we do not profess three substances but one substance and three persons (Stanford University, 2008). Judaism, by contrast, does not recognize Jesus as God. Although many first century Jews viewed Jesus as a heretic or even a false prophet, most now accept that he was a prophet but not that he was the messiah.Christianity is heavily influenced by Judaism. The books of the Torah form Christian conceptions of the beginning of the world, the sinfulness of man and the promise of a coming messiah. Jesus himself preached in the Jewish synagogues and often cited Old Testament prophecy.St. Augustine of Hippo, argued that philosophical reflection complemented theology, but only when these philosophical reflections were firmly grounded in a prior intellectual commitment to the underlying truth of the Christian faith.(Stanford University, 2008)The Jews of the first century doubted that Jesus could be the messiah that had been promised i n the book of Isaiah. He was a carpenter from humble origins. His parents were unmarried at the time Mary began pregnant with Jesus.The family faced ostracization as a result. Joseph, the baby’s earthly father, had considered sending his wife away before the baby was born. Since he and Mary had not yet had sex, Joseph suspected that the pregnancy was the result of an affair. According to the Christian bible, Joseph was convinced not to send her away by a vision from God and consultation with Jewish elders. The baby was to be the messiah born of a virgin.If the Jewish community doubted the humble beginnings of the young messiah, some of his early teachings raised even more concern. While Jesus recognized that the Jewish people were the chosen people of the Old Testament the messiah was not to be reserved to them. Jesus came to atone for the sins of all people. Those of any culture who accepted him in faith could receive this atonement.Judaism had already existed for centuries by that time. During this span of time theologians had created hundreds of specific rules regarding worship and everyday life. For many Jews piety was judged in concordance with obeying of these rules. Jesus challenged this assumption.By working on the Sabbath and performing other acts that broke the rules, Jesus sent a clear message that true faith was about much more than obeying the rules. He told the elders that they could not â€Å"earn their way† in to heaven. In doing so he challenged the well-established social order.As Jesus had faced skepticism and outright hostility, so too would the early Christian Church. Theologians such as St. Paul would face resistance from all sides. The Jews, particularly the elite classes, strongly disagreed with the proposition that Jesus was the messiah.The ruling Romans saw a threat that could erode their empire from within. There was also dissent within the early church as it struggled to find its theological underpinnings.   

Intercultural Communication And Interpersonal Communication

Intercultural communication is defined as when people communicate with one another who have different cultures. They may differ because of their languages, beliefs, values, and behavioral characteristics (Bennett, 1998). The intercultural communication plays a key role in globalization. It will help organizations to have a long-term success if they can manage the cultural differences and intercultural cooperation effectively to conflicts. Increasing shared knowledge and dealing with miscommunication are the two main factors for having a successful intercultural communication. However, the difference in discourse systems is the most miscommunication issue that leads individuals to misunderstand and misinterpret to the contents or messages†¦show more content†¦These people need to be willing to realize the signifiers such as sounds, gestures, tones, and so on. This level also includes the basic concept of cultural diversities such as bias, ethnocentricity, and stereotype. The second level is organizing information according to stereotypes. This level is about to accept the stereotypical characteristics of new cultures. The new cultures that they face will bring them to get used to it. However, it can cause a stereotype to happen in the culture. One culture might think that all people are same in that culture. For instance, when Arabs are speaking, they like to stay close to another person. This will make another believes that all Arabs act like that. It is much more difficult if the stereotypes happen in the intercultural communication. This level has a high possibility for some people to fail at this level. The next level is to pose questions to challenge the stereotypes. They can solve the stereotypes problems by asking specific questions about other cultures. The questions need to relate to attitudes because they can increase their knowledge about other cultures. For example, they can ask how the relationship can be settled. The fourth level of interc ultural communication competence learning is analyzing communication episodes. After they understand more about other cultures, they are able to analyze the way to behave and communicate to others. They have moreShow MoreRelatedIntercultural Interpersonal Communication And Intercultural Communication Essay1301 Words   |  6 Pagesconcepts, one of which being the differences between intercultural and interpersonal communication. Intercultural communication is defined as â€Å"the process that occurs when members of two or more cultures or co-cultures exchange messages in a manner that is influenced by their different cultural perceptions and symbol systems, both verbal and nonverbal† (Adler et al., 2015, pg. 40). While most interactions seem to have some sense of intercultural aspect due to the great diversity not only in race butRead MoreIntercultural Communication : Communication, And Interpersonal Communication850 Words   |  4 Pagestime. 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