Lecture 4: Gothic Art in France
kings and queens of France were spiritual heirs of the biblical rulers. This
idea haunted many cathedrals in France during the French Revolution, when
biblical king sculptures were mutilated and destroyed because they were
associated with political rulers. St. Denis and Notre-Dame of Paris especially
suffered important losses.These ¿ gures have charm as well as dignity, and though they are attached to
the columns and echo the columnar shape, they are essentially conceived as
sculpture in the round. The style of the 13th-century sculpture at Chartres is
early High Gothic, representing a suave and more convincing ¿ gure type.The ¿ gures from the left jamb of the central portal of the north transept (after
1194) are Old Testament precursors of Christ. For example, the center ¿ gure,
Moses, holds the tablets of the Ten Commandments and a column with the
brazen serpent (which was later interpreted as a symbol of the Cruci¿ xion).
He stands on the golden calf idol that the Israelites were worshiping when
Moses came down from the mountain. His body turns slightly on its axis,
and his clothes fall naturally with a certain À exibility. This is much different
than the columnar stiffness and vertical drapery folds of the ¿ gures on the
west front.To the left of Moses is a portrayal of Abraham and Isaac when Abraham is
about to sacri¿ ce his son in obedience to God’s command. Isaac’s hands are
bound; Abraham’s left hand cradles his son’s head while his right hand holds
the knife. The most unusual aspect, in the context of Gothic portal sculpture,
is that Abraham looks up abruptly, with a surprising degree of movement. He
is looking at the angel who has arrived to stop the sacri¿ ce, and beneath the
feet of Abraham and Isaac is the ram that becomes the alternative sacri¿ ce.Next, we will consider two architectural monuments in the city of Rouen in
Normandy on the Seine. The ¿ rst monument is the Rouen Cathedral (Notre
Dame), recorded in a 19th-century image by a little-known artist. This is
an interesting example because the artist was able to free himself from the
con¿ nes of the square in front of the cathedral and show the church much
more fully than a photograph could.