Rough Draft: Week 7: April 27th

Rough Draft Question: How do Romanesque and Gothic Cathedrals express different understandings about religious theology?


There are several different ways that Romanesque and Gothic Cathedrals express different understandings about religious theology. These architectures played a big role in the religious theology. It allowed the artists of many buildings to profess their religious views through the artwork of their buildings they design. Artists could promote or preach their views of religion through these great buildings. These buildings represented more than just their religious views, but they showed deep meanings of how the architect felt about what they were creating. Others say that these buildings did not represent anything but were just simply there for worship. 

Romanesque Cathedrals were more for places of worship. They showed more of what the religious community wanted to see. Some say they looked like castles but they were supposed to be perceived as places of worship. They could have been used for several other things also like defense or retreating to the churches.A lot of the Cathedrals have bell towers and higher places to look out over land  (Figure 1) Since they were built in the time of war and violence between societies, hey were highly protected and did not want to be harmed.

Because of the Gothic Cathedrals being built in the time of peace that they were, architects were not rushed to finish them. they could take their time on them and make them prettier. Gothic artists were able to express their freedom in their work with the buildings. Gothic Cathedrals were allowed to be more complex in the structure and Romanesque tended to all be the same way.

Some say that the Gothic Cathedrals were more about the way they looked. They were the ones with the huge glass windows and thinner walls than the Romanesque Cathedrals. (Figures 4 & 5) The Gothic Cathedrals were more pleasing to the eye and less warlike than the Romanesque Cathedrals were. The Gothic Cathedrals were built in a time of peace and tranquility which allowed the artists to make them lovelier for worship to take place in them.

Romanesque and Gothic express many different feelings towards religion than what people can see. Artists may make a doorway a certain way because of the things they believe in. Romanesque Cathedrals were for more of the protection and worship side of life. Gothic Cathedrals were for the pleasure of the eye; they were more pleasing to look at most of the time. These two different types of architecture were used for several different ways in the religious theology.






Sources: 


Figure 1- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:060806-France-Paris-Notre_Dame.jpg
France Paris Notre Dame

Figure 2-http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Angouleme_cathedral_StPierre_a.jpg
Angouleme Cathedral St. Pierre

Figure 3-http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Tournai_JPG001.jpg
Tournai

Figure 4- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:060806-France-Paris-Notre_Dame.jpg
France Paris Notre Dame

Figure 5- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Reims_Cathedrale_Notre_Dame_interior_002.JPG
Reims Cathedrale Notre Dame



Figure 6- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Reims_Kathedrale.jpg
Reims Kathedrale