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Church in France / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Rayonnant Gothic, or simply Rayonnant, was a period of the construction of French cathedrals in the 13th century which is often described as the high point of French Gothic architecture. During this period, the architects turned away from the goal achieving greater height and turned their attention to decoration, particularly pinnacles, mouldings, and especially the tracery in windows. The style took its name from the ornamental design of the enormous rose windows. [1]
Features of Rayonnant included larger windows, thinner supporting columns and ribs, and the combination of the mid-level triforiumupper level clerestory which turned the upper walls into enormous screens of glass.
The result was the birth of what is known as the Rayonnant style (from the radiating character of the rose window, one of the style’s most prominent features). The earliest moves in this direction were at Amiens Cathedral, where the choir triforium and clerestory were begun after 1236, and at Saint-Denis, where transepts and nave were begun after 1231. Architects opened up as much of the wall surface as possible, producing areas of glazing that ran from the top of the main arcade to the apex of the vault. The combination of the triforium gallery and clerestory into one large glazed area had, of course, a unifying effect on the elevations. It produced an intricate play of tracery patterns and instantly unleashed an era of intense experiment into the form that these patterns should take. Many of the achievements of the Rayonnant architects are extremely fine—for instance, the two transept facades, begun during the 1250s, of Notre-Dame, Paris. The decorative effect of this architecture depends not only on the tracery of the windows but also on the spread of tracery patterns over areas of stonework and on architectural features such as gables.
(EB) The result was the birth of what is known as the Rayonnant style (from the radiating character of the rose window, one of the style’s most prominent features). The earliest moves in this direction were at Amiens Cathedral, where the choir triforium and clerestory were begun after 1236, and at Saint-Denis, where transepts and nave were begun after 1231. Architects opened up as much of the wall surface as possible, producing areas of glazing that ran from the top of the main arcade to the apex of the vault. The combination of the triforium gallery and clerestory into one large glazed area had, of course, a unifying effect on the elevations. It produced an intricate play of tracery patterns and instantly unleashed an era of intense experiment into the form that these patterns should take. Many of the achievements of the Rayonnant architects are extremely fine—for instance, the two transept facades, begun during the 1250s, of Notre-Dame, Paris. The decorative effect of this architecture depends not only on the tracery of the windows but also on the spread of tracery patterns over areas of stonework and on architectural features such as gables. During this period
of French cathedrals in the 13th century which is often considered the high point of French Gothic architecture. French building style (13th century) that represents the height of Gothic architecture. During this period architects became less interested in achieving great size than in decoration, which took such forms as pinnacles, moldings, and especially window tracery. The style’s name reflects the radiating character of the rose window. Other features include the thinning of vertical supporting members, the enlargement of windows, and the combination of the triforium gallery and clerestory into one large glazed area, until walls became largely undifferentiated screens of tracery, mullions, and glass. Amiens Cathedral (1220–70) is cited as its earliest manifestation. Especially fine achievements include Notre-Dame de Paris, the church of Saint-Urbain in Troyes (founded 1262), and the extraordinary Sainte-Chapelle, Paris (consecrated 1248), Louis IX’s palace chapel. See also cathedral.
Rayonnant Gothic or simply "Rayonnant", was a style of Gothic architecture which appeared in France in the 13th century. During this period, the search to build bigger and taller cathedrals was gradually replaced by an effort to bring in a maximum of light The use of bar tracery, separating sections of glass with thin stone mullions or bars instead of cutting the windows into stone, permitted the creation much larger stained glass windows, filling the walls. The sensation of verticality was reinforced by Slender vertical tracery running up the walls between the windows. The triforia, the windowless galleries between the arcades and the clerestory, or upper windows, were given windows and and merged with the clerestory above,creating walls composed entirely of glass and tracery. The shining light from the new windows gave the style its name, "Rayonnant". [2] t ook such forms as pinnacles, moldings, and especially window tracery. The style’s name reflects the radiating character of the rose window. Other features include the thinning of vertical supporting members, the enlargement of windows, and the combination of the triforium gallery and clerestory into one large glazed area, until walls became largely undifferentiated screens of tracery, mullions, and glass.
EB Quotations
Reims Cathedral Reims Cathedral, is a medieval Gothic cathedral in northern France built between 1221 and 1225. It features an exterior richly decorated with sculpture, and exceptionally large a stained glass windows. The windows were made possible by one of the first uses of bar tracery, dividing the pieces of glass with carved stone bars, instead of cutting openings in plates of stone. This made possible much larger windows, which flooded the interior with light. Reims has been described as "one of the artistic masterpieces of the French High Gothic Period."[3]
"Reims is richly decorated with elegant masonry sculpture (particularly the exterior) and exceptional stained-glass windows, making it one of the artistic masterpieces of the French High Gothic period." EB [4]
'High Gothic is the term used by American and British scholars to describe the emergence of a new, more refined style of of Gothic architecture between about 1225 and 1289. It includes some of the most famous French Gothic cathedrals: the rebuilt Chartres Cathedral, Reims Cathedral, Amiens Cathedral, Beauvais Cathedral and Bourges Cathedral[5][6]