DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.29899#0124
104
FRENCH ARCHITECTURE.
Part II.
CHAPTEE YI.
FRANKISH PROVINCE.
CONTENTS.
Exceptional buildings—Basse Œuvre, Beauvais—Montier-en-Der.
INTRODUCTORY.
The architecttire o£ the Korthern division of France is certainly the
most interesting subject in the whole history of the Mediæval styles,
inasmuch as it comprehencls the origm and progress of that form of
pointed architecture which in the 13th century extended from Paris as
a centre to the remotest corners of Europe, pervadmg the whole of
Germany, Britain, and even Spain and Italy. In these countries it
generally obliterated their own peculiar styles, and usurped their
places, so that it became the Gothic style par eminence, and the only
one ordinarily unclerstood under that name. It has gained this dis-
tinction, not perhaps so much from any inherent merit of its own, as
because it was the only one of all the Mediæval styles which was carried
beyond the simple rudiments of the art, and enjoyed the advantage of
being perfected by a powerful and united people who had advanced
beyoncl the first elements of civilised society. It is needless now to
inquire whether the other styles might not have been made as perfect,
or more so, had the same amount of talent and of time boen bestowed
upon them. All we can say is, that no other style was so carried
out, and it is impossible to attempt it now ; the pointed Gothic had
therefore the opportunity which the others were deprived of, and
became the prevalent style in 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 satisfactoi’y reasoning on
the subject must be principally clerived.
The great divisions into which the early history of the style
naturally divides itself have already been pointed out. The great
central province I have ventured to call the Frankish. It was there
that the true Gothic pointed style was invented, and thence that it
FRENCH ARCHITECTURE.
Part II.
CHAPTEE YI.
FRANKISH PROVINCE.
CONTENTS.
Exceptional buildings—Basse Œuvre, Beauvais—Montier-en-Der.
INTRODUCTORY.
The architecttire o£ the Korthern division of France is certainly the
most interesting subject in the whole history of the Mediæval styles,
inasmuch as it comprehencls the origm and progress of that form of
pointed architecture which in the 13th century extended from Paris as
a centre to the remotest corners of Europe, pervadmg the whole of
Germany, Britain, and even Spain and Italy. In these countries it
generally obliterated their own peculiar styles, and usurped their
places, so that it became the Gothic style par eminence, and the only
one ordinarily unclerstood under that name. It has gained this dis-
tinction, not perhaps so much from any inherent merit of its own, as
because it was the only one of all the Mediæval styles which was carried
beyond the simple rudiments of the art, and enjoyed the advantage of
being perfected by a powerful and united people who had advanced
beyoncl the first elements of civilised society. It is needless now to
inquire whether the other styles might not have been made as perfect,
or more so, had the same amount of talent and of time boen bestowed
upon them. All we can say is, that no other style was so carried
out, and it is impossible to attempt it now ; the pointed Gothic had
therefore the opportunity which the others were deprived of, and
became the prevalent style in 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 satisfactoi’y reasoning on
the subject must be principally clerived.
The great divisions into which the early history of the style
naturally divides itself have already been pointed out. The great
central province I have ventured to call the Frankish. It was there
that the true Gothic pointed style was invented, and thence that it