Gothic Architecture and Embellishment: A Luminous Shift Towards Divinity

The grandeur and elegance of Gothic institutions exhibit an astounding contrast from the heavy, compact and dim personality of Romanesque cathedrals. The combination of structural elements such as flying buttresses, cross-ribbed groin vaults and pointed arches enables Gothic architecture to become taller, broader and brighter than has ever been seen before. An emphasis on the use of stained glass also emerged in tandem with the concept of “divine light”, alongside the accommodation of increased traffic from urban centres and pilgrimages. In addition, the proliferation of scholasticism, which involves philosophical thinking about religious concepts, and humanist values had a profound impact on the composition and character of sculpture as well as architectural embellishment of Gothic cathedrals.