How did Claus Sluter’s sculptures differ from the elegant International Gothic style?

Claus Sluter’s sculptures represented a significant departure from the International Gothic style, which was characterized by a preference for graceful, delicate figures, refined movement, and a mannered, artificial elegance in drapery.12

In contrast, Sluter’s work introduced a powerful, dynamic naturalism that moved beyond the prevailing courtly taste. His approach was defined by several key differences:1

• Monumentality and Mass: Sluter favored weighty, massive forms and a sense of grandeur that stood in opposition to the daintiness of the International Gothic style.1
• Intrusive Realism: His figures were strongly characterized, detailed, and often emotionally expressive, moving away from the reticent elegance of his contemporaries.13
• Dynamic Drapery: Rather than the fluid, delicate falls of drapery common in the period, Sluter utilized heavy, swirling, and deep-undercut drapery that emphasized the physical presence and volume of his subjects.1
• Pictorial Composition: He transformed traditional architectural settings into pictorial backgrounds, allowing his figures to project strongly and independently from the architecture, rather than being closely aligned with or subordinate to it.1

Through these innovations, Sluter bridged the gap between traditional Gothic symbolism and a new, individualized naturalism.12