Only the three lowest tiers of the northwest (left) tower—the St. Romain
Tower—remain of the Romanesque church consecrated in 1063; the rest
burned in a ¿ re in 1200. From that point, four centuries of Gothic style can
be seen on this same spot, dominated by the so-called Flamboyant style of
the 16th century. The soaring steeple is a 19th-century ironwork creation—at
151 meters (500 feet) it is the tallest spire in France. The façade of Rouen
Cathedral became the subject of some 30 paintings by Claude Monet in the
1890s. One example is Rouen Cathedral painted in 1894. Note how Monet
captured the many colors and the reÀ ections of white light in his painting.
In the very late Gothic period in northern Europe, which corresponded
with the Renaissance in Italy, architecture developed in a striking way.
Curvilinear forms, S-shaped or À ame-shaped, entered the decorative
repertory of architecture, both sacred and secular. From the À ame shape, the
word À amboyant was derived. Flamma is Latin for “À ame,” and À ambeau
is French for “torch.” The word À amboyant is purely descriptive and carries
none of the negative connotations that it may have in English. It was perhaps
predictable that this expressive, curvilinear style should develop; the ever-
increasing piercing of the non-supporting decorative stone work must have
tempted the designers and the carvers to relax, extend, and elaborate their
forms, as the sculptors of saints and Last Judgments were doing.
St. Maclou (c. 1500–1514) is a church near Rouen Cathedral and a famous
example of the French Flamboyant style. Sadly, it was bombarded and
nearly destroyed in the battle for the bridges over the Seine during World
War II. Note the remarkable virtuosity of the carving of the gables above
the portals on the church’s façade—they are the visual de¿ nition of the
Flamboyant Gothic. Ŷ
Cathedral of Notre-Dame of Paris, 1163–1250, Paris, France.
Chartres Cathedral, 1134–94, Chartres, France.
Church of St. Maclou, c. 1500–14, Rouen, France.
Works Discussed