DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.26747#0703
Chap. Y.
FRANKISH STYLE.
639
CHAPTER V.
FEANKISH STYLE.
CONTENTS.
Exceptional buildings — Basse CEuvre, Beanvais — Decoration.
Yorthern Protince.
The arckitecture of tlre YortLern division of Erance is certainly the
most interesting snbject in tlie -whole Listory of tlie Mediaeval styles.
This snbject comprehends the origin and progress of that style of
pointed architectnre which in the 13th centnry extended from Paris
as a centre to the remotest corners of Enrope, pervading the whole of
G-ermany, Britain, and even Spain and Italy. In these countries it
probably obliterated their own peculiar styles, and usurped their places,
so as to become the Gothic style par eminence, and the only one gene-
rally understood under that name. It has gained this distinction, not
perhaps so much from any inherent merit of its own, as because it was
the only one of all the Mediaeyal styles which was carried beyond the
simple rudiments of the art, and enjoyed the advantage of being carried
out by a powerful and united people who had advanced beyond the
first elements of civilized society. It is needless now to inquire whe-
ther the other styles might not have been made as perfect, or more so,
had the same amount of talent and of time been bestowed upon them.
All we can say is, that no other style was so carried out, and it is
impossible that it should now be attempted, while the pointed Gothic
had the opportunity which the others were deprived of, and became
the style of Europe during the middle ages. Its history is, therefore,
that to which attention must always be principally directed, and from
which all lessons and all satisfactory reasoning on the subject must be
principally derived.
The three great divisions into which the early history of the style
naturally divides itself have already been pointed out. I have called
the central province Frankia, whence in the middle of the 12th cen-
tury the pointed style issued, witli the two great subordinate divisions
of Normandy on the one hand, and Burgundy on the other. In Nor-
mandy a warlike race had raised themselves to power, and with an
inconsistency characteristic of their state of civilization devoted to
sacred purposes the wealth they had acquired by rapine and plunder,
covering their province with churches, and perfecting a rude style of
arckitecture singularly expressive of their bold and energetic cha-
racter.
FRANKISH STYLE.
639
CHAPTER V.
FEANKISH STYLE.
CONTENTS.
Exceptional buildings — Basse CEuvre, Beanvais — Decoration.
Yorthern Protince.
The arckitecture of tlre YortLern division of Erance is certainly the
most interesting snbject in tlie -whole Listory of tlie Mediaeval styles.
This snbject comprehends the origin and progress of that style of
pointed architectnre which in the 13th centnry extended from Paris
as a centre to the remotest corners of Enrope, pervading the whole of
G-ermany, Britain, and even Spain and Italy. In these countries it
probably obliterated their own peculiar styles, and usurped their places,
so as to become the Gothic style par eminence, and the only one gene-
rally understood under that name. It has gained this distinction, not
perhaps so much from any inherent merit of its own, as because it was
the only one of all the Mediaeyal styles which was carried beyond the
simple rudiments of the art, and enjoyed the advantage of being carried
out by a powerful and united people who had advanced beyond the
first elements of civilized society. It is needless now to inquire whe-
ther the other styles might not have been made as perfect, or more so,
had the same amount of talent and of time been bestowed upon them.
All we can say is, that no other style was so carried out, and it is
impossible that it should now be attempted, while the pointed Gothic
had the opportunity which the others were deprived of, and became
the style of Europe during the middle ages. Its history is, therefore,
that to which attention must always be principally directed, and from
which all lessons and all satisfactory reasoning on the subject must be
principally derived.
The three great divisions into which the early history of the style
naturally divides itself have already been pointed out. I have called
the central province Frankia, whence in the middle of the 12th cen-
tury the pointed style issued, witli the two great subordinate divisions
of Normandy on the one hand, and Burgundy on the other. In Nor-
mandy a warlike race had raised themselves to power, and with an
inconsistency characteristic of their state of civilization devoted to
sacred purposes the wealth they had acquired by rapine and plunder,
covering their province with churches, and perfecting a rude style of
arckitecture singularly expressive of their bold and energetic cha-
racter.