A History of Art for Beginners and Students: Painting, Sculpture, ArchitectureWaters, Clara Erskine Clement
History
A History of Art for Beginners and Students: Painting, Sculpture, Architecture
Waters, Clara Erskine Clement
Art -- History
In the Cathedral of Freiburg, the nave of which was completed in 1270,
there are some very fine sculptures, which are like the Rheims works in
spirit and execution; a figure of the Madonna is one of the best statues
of the time in any country. There is much to admire in the whole of this
cathedral. Here and there in Germany there are some tomb-sculptures of
the thirteenth century, which are simple, noble, and individual; but the
progress of art here was much less rapid than in France.
Another marked event in the art history of the thirteenth century was
the introduction of sculpture into England. The few pieces of plastic
art which existed in that country before this date were not sufficient
in number or excellence to merit the name of English sculpture.
[Illustration: FIG. 77.--DUKE ROBERT OF NORMANDY.]
The first important step was made about the end of the twelfth century,
when Guillaume de Sens, a French architect, was employed to build a new
choir to Canterbury Cathedral. Not long after this the Temple Church was
erected; then Westminster Abbey followed, and at length, under Henry
III., all the arts were rapidly advanced in his kingdom. This king
summoned artists and skilled workmen from different countries, and
portrait-sculpture received especial attention in the England of that
day. By comparing English tomb-sculpture with that of other countries,
it is seen that the aim of the artists was to make the statues resemble
those whose memories they honored, far more than other nations had
done. The illustration given here, with its air of life--almost of
motion--is a good example of what I mean (Fig. 77).
The sculptures upon the English exteriors, and, indeed, upon the
interiors of edifices, were far less lavish than on the Continent; but
in Wells Cathedral, completed before 1250, there is a wealth of
sculpture for an English church of this date, and from this time forward
the plastic arts were of great importance in Great Britain.
With the beginning of the fourteenth century there were great changes in
the religious and political affairs of all Europe. The Pope no longer
held the supreme authority that had belonged to his office, and the
imperial power was also much shaken. We cannot speak of these subjects
in detail here, but the result to art of these changes was seen in a
development of individualism, and the effects of it did not show an
improvement when considered as a whole, though it has some new features
which were attractive.
In these days of which we now speak the word citizen had a far deeper
meaning than ever before, and the growth of wealth and prosperity in the
citizen classes gave a new impulse to all the activities of life, and to
art along with others.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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