Gothic Sculpture: Features, Styles, and Evolution
Gothic Sculpture: General Features
Naturalism: A major change occurred as a ‘living breath’ animated figures. Attitudes and gestures became more natural and realistic, reaching surprising heights. Expression increased on faces, revealing feelings. Romanesque constraints disappeared, and sculpture was released from architectural constraints. Figures appeared more independent, and there was a clearer exposition of topics. Cathedrals became the primary site for sculptures.
Sculptures adorned archivolts, unlike Romanesque arches where figures were placed perpendicular to the arc. The tympanum featured various issues, sculpting the Pantocrator theme, unlike the Romanesque Tetramorph. Jambs still featured apostles, prophets, and saints, but more attention was paid to the Virgin and the saints. The mullion usually featured the Virgin and Child, covered by a canopy at the top and supported by a bracket.
The themes were religious, drawing from the Gospels, New Testament, and Apocrypha. Other fields included sculptural tombs, altarpieces, and choir stalls. Sculpture reached new iconographic types, such as the Crucified with three nails, the Virgin and Child talking or playing, and the Pieta. These developments would further influence future Renaissance and Baroque art.
Gothic Sculpture in Spain
In the early stage, pre-Gothic forms emerged. The Pórtico de la Gloria, a work by Maestro Mateo, is seen as the transition from Romanesque to Gothic. While still part Romanesque in style, it won naturalism in the representation of figures. Examples include works in Tuy Cathedral and Ciudad Rodrigo.
The thirteenth century experienced a period of classicism, influenced by France. Two sculpture workshops stood out:
- Burgos: Home to the Sarmental Door and the Coroneria Door in the Cathedral.
- León: Featuring the main entrance to the Cathedral, with the beautiful Virgen Blanca in the mullion.
The work of Bartomeu, the author of the Tarragona Cathedral cover, is also noteworthy. In the fourteenth century, Hispanic sculpture was influenced by the softness and mannerisms of sculpture from the rest of Europe, as seen in the White Lady Gate Clock in Toledo Cathedral. By the fifteenth century, Gothic sculpture was influenced by the realism of the French Burgundy region, exemplified by the tomb of Carlos III el Noble and his wife in Pamplona Cathedral.
Funerary sculpture reached a major development, with the realization of free-standing tombs (such as the Sepulchre of Álvaro de Luna Constable and his wife in Toledo Cathedral) and terraced tombs (such as the tomb of Martín Vázquez de Arce in Sigüenza). Gilded wood altarpieces and polychrome sculptures were manufactured in the choir stalls, often made of walnut wood.
Gothic Sculpture in France
Large covers of thirteenth-century cathedrals are emphasized, where Christ Pantocrator gave way to the Master. The Virgin occupied a more prominent position. The Annunciation group in Reims Cathedral, featuring the smiling archangel, is a highlight. In the fourteenth century, realism appeared in Burgundy, influencing the uptake of faces and objects. Claus Sluter introduced this style, and one of his notable works is the Tomb of Philip the Bold.