Abbot Suger: An Art Analysis Of The Gothic Church

Chris Dawson
Lee Bailey
Humanities: Byzantine-Enlightenment
July 17, 2014
An Art Analysis of the Gothic Church
There are many Gothic churches/cathedrals around Europe. When you think of a church in Paris you think of Notre Dame but there are others. The church I chose to talk about is “The Abbey Church of Saint Denis, known as the first Gothic structure and was developed in the 12th century by Abbot Suger. The Abbey Church of Saint Denis, also known as the Cathedral Basilica of St Denis, provided an architectural model for the cathedrals and abbeys in northern France, England, and other countries” (The Abbey Church of Saint-Denis ). The church was a place of pilgrimage and burial ground of French kings. Located in the northern part
An earlier church was dedicated to his memory and a monastery has been at this location since the 7th century” (Sullivan). “In the 12th century, Abbot Suger rebuilt portions of the abbey church using innovative structural and decorative features that were drawn from a number of sources, resulting in the first truly Gothic building. Two architects who worked under Abbot Suger’s direction remain uncredited, identified only by their unique stylistic contributions. Suger’s masons drew on the new elements which had or been introduced to Romanesque architecture: the pointed arch, the ribbed vault, the ambulatory with radiating chapels, the clustered columns supporting ribs springing in different directions, and the flying buttresses which enabled the insertion of large clerestory windows. This was the first time these features had been brought together” (The Abbey Church of
That does not mean that there are no differences between those other cathedrals/churches. The famous Notre Dame Cathedral was inspired by the Gothic architecture but it is not completely the same. I know some information on Notre Dame, so I am able to compare the two cathedrals. I noticed that the Abbey Church does not have any bells but Notre Dame does. The outside of Notre Dame has gargoyle statues and the church doesn’t. In my opinion, I think that the sharp spire on top of the church is not as dramatic looking as other Gothic churches. “With the Abbey church’s display of funerary sculptures of kings and queens of France, the Cathedral Church of St Denis is one of the most important royal necropolises in Europe.” There is a big difference between Gothic architecture and Romanesque. “Romanesque architecture contained both Roman and Byzantine elements.” From what I can recall, Romanesque churches walls are solid, with small windows which makes the church dark inside. The Abbey Churches interior is illuminated by its stained glass windows. Romanesque arches are round while the Gothic churches are pointed, excluding the round arch portal at the façade of the