Gargoyles were used to drop the rain water that fell onto churches' roofs away from the church so as to not create damage to the foundation or flood the basement. The term "gargoyle" came from the French word "gargouille" which means "throat" or "gullet". The French "gargouille" originally came from the Latin word "gargulio" or "gula". The root word "gar" means to swallow. Spanish gargoyles are called "gargola" which comes from the Spanish word "garganta", which meaning "throat". Chimeras are often mistaken for gargoyles. They are sculptures that only serve artistic purposes. They are not used to deter water from the buildings' foundations. Gargoyles normally have grotesque features in order to scare off evil spirits.
An example of a beast used in earlier architecture is a lamassu. The lamassi were used to protect and support ancient doorways in Assyrian palaces. They normally combined different animals to make one big, intimidating monster. Below is an example of one that is a combination of a human and a winged lion. It was made during the Neo- Assyrian Period (883-859 BC). 
The Sphinx in Egypt (fig. 3) is another example of beat used in earlier architecture. It faces the rising sun and is said to protect the Giza Plateau. The Ancient Egyptians worshipped a sun god and the Sphinx became the center of solar worship. It has the body of a lion and the head of a human. The Pharoah Khafre commissioned the project and it is said that it is his head that is protrayed as the Sphinx's head.
These beasts are different in that some of their purposes were varied. The main use of a gargoyle was to deter water from the foundation of the church; they acted as a gutter. The lamassi were used to protect the gates of the city. The Sphinx was used for worship. However, some of their purposes were very similar. The gargoyles were used to ward away evil spirits. The lamassi were used to intimidate and keep intruders out of Assyria. The Sphinx was used to watch the horizon and protect the Giza Plateau.
2. Giving visual examples (pictures), explain the difference between French and English Gothic churches.
2. Giving visual examples (pictures), explain the difference between French and English Gothic churches.
French Gothic churches were built before English churches. The goal of a French Gothic church was to let in as much light as possible. They acheived this through making their churches long and narrow so they could make the windows surround the nave. They also had to make the walls thinner so that they could put more windows in. In order to make the walls thinner they had to develop a way to redistribute the weight of the roof so that it did not all press on the walls. They did this through the groin vault ceiling and most importantly, flying buttresses.
English churches were more ornate. They were also much bigger. Their churches were wider and shorter. They rarely featured flying butresses; if they did it was only for decoration. They also developed the Pendant vault ceiling which is unique to English architecture.
The first example is Notre Dame de Paris cathedral. It is a great example of French Gothic architecture because it has the flying buttresses and is long and narrow. It is also much higher than an English church would be.
The second example is Westminster Abbey in England. It is not nearly as tall as the Notre Dame de Paris Cathedral and it is much more ornate. It features the pendant vaulted ceiling.
3. How do Gothic French churches demonstrate a change in theology from the Romanesque? Cite the examples of at least six churches.
The Romanesque era began with the barbarian invasions. The Roman Empire fell and anarchy ensued. A plague broke out. People feared that Judgement Day was upon them. The architecture of this time reflected the dark times they faced. Churches were used as fortresses to protect people from the invading barbarians. The walls were laid with thick stones. There were little to no windows in most churches. Almost all of the art work produced in this era depicted Judgement Day or scenes relating to the end of the world. Those artworks were used to remind people to follow Christ and focus on getting into heaven.
The rise of Charlemagne brought a new era. With a stabilized government, people did not have to fear invasions. People stopped focusing on death and the end of the world. There was no longer a need for fortress like churches. Churches were built with thinner walls in order to put lots of windows in. The groin vault ceiling allowed for the weight of the roof to not be put on the walls. Also, the flying buttress was invented by Villard de'Honnecourt. That also aided in the use of windows in churches because it took some of the weight off of the walls. This era also saw the rise of ornate churches. They were flambouyant and almost ridiculous.
St. Michael's in Hildesheim, Germany is an example of an early Romanesque church. (fig. 1)It is very fortress like church with few windows. St. Sernin in Toulouse, France (fig. 2) is another example of a Romanesque church. It has a barrell- vaulted ceiling, it's fortress like and it has few windows. However, the ceiling is higher than most other Romanesque churches which illustrates the change towards Gothicism. St. Etienne in Caen, France(fig. 3) is an example of a church that shows the transformation from Romanesque to the Gothic era. It has a groin vault ceiling and a very high ceiling that is characteristic of a Gothic church. However, it is not ornate or light enough to truely be a Gothic church. Notre Dame de Paris (fig. 4) is an example of an early Gothic church. It has a very ornate facade and it is massive especially in height. It has a large rose window which is very characteristic of Gothic churches and it has stained glass windows all over the church. It also introduces the flying buttress. The Chartres Cathedral in Chartres, France (fig. 5) is an example of a church in high Gothic. It has a rose window and a highly ornamented facade. It has many windows and a very high groin vaulted ceiling. St. Chapelle in Paris, France (fig. 6) encompasses what the Gothic era meant. It is known as the "cathedral of light". It lives up to its name. It has stained glass windows from the floor to the ceiling.
fig. 1
fig. 2
fig. 3
fig. 4
fig. 5
fig. 6
4. Is stained glass an art form in the order of painting? Give specific visual examples in your answer.
I think that stained glass in not an art form in the order of painting. I would relate it more to a mosaic. Yes, the artist paints the glass, but they are not illustrating a picture using the paint necessarily. Stained glass is just like a mosaic because you use painted glass to create a picture and in mosaics you use painted tiles to create a picture or pattern. The huge rose window in the Notre Dame de Paris cathedral is an example of how the painted glass is used to create patterns or a picture in the window. The mosaic of Justinian from San Vitale in Ravenna, Italy uses painted tiles to portray the idea.
5.Explain syncretism in the example of il Duomo, the Florence Cathedral and it's surrounding buildings.
Il Duomo, the Florence Cathedral and it's surrounding buildings all have characteristics of the Romanesque, Gothic and early Renaissance eras. The building of il Duomo began during the Romanesque era. It has thick walls without many windows, but they didn't have the technology to complete the dome so they just covered it. During the Gothic age they built the dome using groin vaults. Therefore, it is both Romanesque and Gothic. The polygonal baptistery of St. Giovanni is Romanesque because it has a fortress like appearance and few windows. However the doors of the baptistery are from the early Renaissance era. They were made by Lorenzo Ghiberti. He introduced perspective into the gilded bronze doors that depicted scenes from the Bible.
il Duomo
Baptistery of St. Giovanni
St. Florence Cathedral
"The Gates of Paradise"
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