- Date:
- 1750 - 1880
Gothic Revival
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What is the Gothic Revival architectural style?
The Gothic Revival was an architectural movement that began in England in the 18th century. It drew inspiration from medieval architecture and competed with Neoclassical styles in the United States and Great Britain.
The movement can be divided into two phases. The early phase was rich but comparatively unscholarly. The later style was archaeologically more correct and dominated public building.
Literary interest in medieval times, architectural theorists interested in transferring the liturgical significance of Gothic architecture, and the writings of John Ruskin all contributed to the change of direction from Neoclassicism to the Gothic Revival. The writings of Eugène-Emmanuel Viollet-le-Duc also provided inspiration to sustain the Gothic Revival movement.
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When did the Gothic Revival style become popular?
The Gothic Revival architectural style gained traction in the early 18th century, with early examples appearing in England. By the 1820s, public buildings in England were being designed in the Gothic style. The style became more widespread through the mid-19th century, influencing church designs and other structures.
Literary interest in medieval times, architectural theorists, and the writings of John Ruskin contributed to the shift from Neoclassicism to the Gothic Revival. The movement was potent and long-lived, but it began to lose force after the third quarter of the 19th century.
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What are some key features of Gothic Revival buildings?
The Gothic Revival architectural style, which gained popularity during the Romantic era, draws its inspiration from medieval architecture. It began as a nostalgic imitation of Gothic architecture, with early examples like Strawberry Hill using Gothic elements for picturesque and romantic qualities.
Key features of Gothic Revival buildings include:
* The use of pointed arches
* Rib vaults, which are a framework of arches that support the ceiling or roof
* Emphasis on verticality, with tall spires and towers
* Decorative elements such as battlements and turrets
* Large windowsThe movement gained momentum in the mid-19th century with architects like A.W.N. Pugin and Eugène-Emmanuel Viollet-le-Duc, who emphasized the moral and intellectual purpose of the style.
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How does Gothic Revival differ from original Gothic architecture?
Gothic Revival architecture, emerging in the 18th century, drew inspiration from medieval Gothic architecture but differed significantly. Early Gothic Revival buildings prioritized picturesque and romantic qualities over structural integrity and original function, often incorporating frivolous ornamentation.
Original Gothic architecture, which peaked in the High Gothic period (1200-1300), was characterized by structural innovations such as ribbed vaults, pointed arches, and flying buttresses that allowed for taller, more open buildings with thinner walls and large windows. In contrast, the Gothic Revival initially focused on superficial imitation of Gothic forms, with a growing emphasis on archaeological accuracy and the underlying principles of Gothic architecture later on.
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Why did architects choose to use the Gothic Revival style in the 19th century?
In the 19th century, architects chose the Gothic Revival style for several key reasons:
- Romanticism and Nostalgia The general Romantic movement fostered literary interest in medieval times, creating nostalgia and a taste for the period. Sir Walter Scott and others set stories in medieval times, increasing the style's appeal.
- Religious and Moral Impetus Architectural theorists aimed to transfer the liturgical significance of Gothic architecture to their own times as part of church reform. John Ruskin's writings emphasized medieval craftsmanship, reflecting a morally superior way of life.
- Nationalism Countries with strong Gothic architectural heritage, like England, France, and Germany, saw the revival as a way to express national identity, adding their own unique characteristics to the style.
- Structural Honesty The Gothic Revival encouraged freedom and honesty in structural arrangement, which allowed for structural elements to be provided where needed without dissimulation.
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What are some famous examples of Gothic Revival buildings around the world?
The Gothic Revival architectural style, inspired by medieval design, gained traction in the 19th century.
Famous examples include the Houses of Parliament in London (designed by Sir Charles Barry and A.W.N. Pugin), which showcases a conscientious adaptation of the English medieval style, and Trinity Church in New York City (Richard Upjohn, architect), an early American example of the Gothic Revival. St. Patrick's Cathedral (James Renwick, architect) is another prominent example in the United States.
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Gothic Revival, architectural style that drew its inspiration from medieval architecture and competed with the Neoclassical revivals in the United States and Great Britain. Only isolated examples of the style are to be found on the Continent.
The earliest documented example of the revived use of Gothic architectural elements is Strawberry Hill, the home of the English writer Horace Walpole. As in many of the early Gothic Revival buildings, the Gothic was used here for its picturesque and romantic qualities without regard for its structural possibilities or original function. Another early example of the tendency toward ornamentation and decoration was Fonthill Abbey, designed by James Wyatt, a country house with a tower 270 feet (82 metres) high. Nothing could more clearly illustrate both the impracticality of usage and the romantic associations with medieval life.
The earliest manifestations of an interest in the medieval era were in the private domain, but by the 1820s public buildings in England were also being designed in the Gothic mode. Perhaps no example is more familiar than the new Houses of Parliament (1840), designed by Sir Charles Barry and A.W.N. Pugin. In that large cluster of buildings, the haphazard picturesque quality of the early revival was replaced by a more conscientious adaptation of the medieval English style. Other structures built around mid-century were within this basic pattern. Later, the desire for more elegant and sumptuous landmarks created the last flowering of the style.
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In the United States, the style also can be divided into two phases. The early one, rich but comparatively unscholarly, was exemplified by Richard Upjohn’s Trinity Church (New York City, 1840). This style, as in England, was favoured by the wealthy for their country estates. The later style, archaeologically more correct, inspired such structures as Renwick’s St. Patrick’s Cathedral (New York City, 1859–79) and was to dominate public building.
There were several reasons for the change of direction from Neoclassicism to the Gothic Revival, but three stand out as, by far, the most important. The first, sparked by the general Romantic revolution, was the literary interest in medieval times that produced Gothic tales and romances. By setting their stories in medieval times, authors such as Walpole and especially Sir Walter Scott helped to create a sense of nostalgia and a taste for that period. The ruins of medieval castles and abbeys depicted in landscape paintings were another manifestation of this spirit. The second was the writing of the architectural theorists who were interested, as part of church reform, in transferring the liturgical significance of Gothic architecture to their own times. The third, which strengthened this religious and moral impetus, was the writings of John Ruskin, whose Seven Lamps of Architecture (1849) and Stones of Venice (1853) were widely read and respected. Ruskin stated that the quality of medieval craftsmanship reflected the morally superior way of life of the medieval world and urged a return to the conditions operative in the earlier period.
The writings of the French architect Eugène-Emmanuel Viollet-le-Duc provided the inspiration to sustain the Gothic Revival movement. His own work, however, was often weak Gothic, and his restorations were frequently fanciful.
The Gothic Revival was to remain one of the most potent and long-lived of the 19th-century revival styles. Although it began to lose force after the third quarter of the 19th century, buildings such as churches and institutions of higher learning were constructed in the Gothic style in England and in the United States until well into the 20th century. Only when new materials and concern for functionalism began to take hold did the Gothic Revival disappear.
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