Gothic Revival

Gothic Revival was one of the most influential styles of the mid-19th Century. It originated in England around 1840 and carried on till 1870. Houses,castles and churches were built in this style in Europe and America. Designs were used in forms and patterns inspired by medieval designs. Gothic Revival architecture was a different style from the popular Greek and Roman classical buildings.Gothic Revival was happening at the same time as the building of the Crystal Place

Augustus Welby Pugin

Pugin was born on 1st March, 1812 in Bloomsbury, London. He was an architect, designer, writer and medievalist. His father helped Pugin's growing interest in Medieval Gothic architecture. Pugin helped his father with Gothic drawings which were published and became popular with architects who emulated the Gothic style in architecture and design.

The Palace of Westminster is best known today as the Houses of Parliament is one of the oldest royal palaces in London.  It is one of the most  recognized buildings in the world. It started in 1840, replaced building which burnt down in 1834 and rebuilt 1868. This is lime stone building at almost 250,000 square feet, it cost eventually about 2,000,000. Charles Barry assisted by Augustus Pugin  created The Palace of Westminster.

The highest is the Victoria Tower, at 102m (336ft). The octagonal center tower above the central lobby, is topped by a spire.

The clock tower, at the northern, has four huge clock faces and houses five great bells that chimes every quarter-hour. Big Ben, the bell that chimes on the hour, has became a symbol of London itself. the passage ways and more than 1,000 rooms cover over four floors.     

Strawberry Hill in England

Strawberry Hill dominated Gothic revival castle architecture in England for second half of the 18th century. Horace Walpole who created the strawberry hill brought the property in 1749. He built a project that transformed strawberry hill into a model of Gothic architecture.

Outside original buildings he added chimney places and bookcases, stained glass windows and intricate ceiling and wall design. he was aimed to create a route to his house were the visitors was constantly surprised, with gloomy areas that leaded into bright open spaces.       

Strawberry hill is his Gothic summer house. He filled the rooms with collections of arts,books and antiquities.

St Giles Church, Cheadle

St Giles Church by Augustus Pugin is Gothic in plan. Local materials were used  keeping  faithful to the Gothic style The spire has decorated tracery and numerous pinnacles.There are several different levels and roofs. Inside the building is lavishly decorated with painted walls and rich stained glass.

St Patrick cathedral

St Patrick's Cathedral is one of the largest in the United States.Its works began in 1858. It was designed by James Renwick, an American architect. 

Renwick incorporated German, French and English elements in his design.

The exterior length is about 405 feet, the width is 274 feet. spires rise 330 feet from street level.The famous Charles Connick designed the rose window and the windows were made by artists from England, France, and Boston. 

Book

Glancey, J., 2006. Architecture.London : D. Kindersley

Website

Victoria and Albert Museum. 1978. architect of the Gothic revival. [ONLINE] Available at:http://www.vam.ac.uk/content/articles/s/style-guide-gothic-revival/. [Accessed 22 February 15].

Pennsylvania historical & Museum commission. 1945. Gothic Revival Style 1830 - 1860. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.portal.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt/community/mid-19th_century_period/2386/gothic_revival_style/293443. [Accessed 22 February 15].

Walk London. 2004. HOUSES OF PARLIAMENT and BIG BEN. [ONLINE] Available at:http://www.walklondon.com/london-attractions/big-ben-houses-of-parliament.htm. [Accessed 22 February 15]

www.parliament.uk. 2002. Palace of Westminster records. [ONLINE] Available at:http://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/parliamentary-archives/archives-overview-holdings/archives-the-palace-of-westminster/. [Accessed 22 February 15].

Realism

Realism is an art movement, lasted around forty years from 1840-1880. The artists tried to depict from the real world. Realism originated in France. They painted everyday subjects and people.They did not try to interpret they add emotional meaning to the scene. Realism portrayed real people carrying out unglamorous, everyday activities.

Gustave Courbet

Gustave Courbet was born in June 10th 1819 in Ornans, France. He was the leader of French Realism and he gave name to this movement when he opened his one-man show in Paris. He chooses a large scale subjects such as life,death,destiny, the ocean, the forest and often produced physically large paintings. Brilliant, technique with thick, physical paint. Courbet use to carry on his back a folding easel  that contained everything he needs to use paint,canvas, palette, oil, turpentine and rags to paint outside nature. All the activities, people and place he painted and valued down to earth, provincial life more than highly  fashionable Parisian glamour. His work was a range most brilliantly inspired and executed .

Gustave Courbet - Self portrait

The Meeting

This painting started in 1854. On the right hand side he painted himself a self portrait, the man in the green jacket beside the dog was well dressed indeed. but the man wearing a brown suit his name is Calas and serves the man besides him.The man in the centre is rich and flacked by both of his servants Calas and his dog.

Courbet head is looking to the angle of the servant. The gentleman in green is the son of a banker and an industrialist his name was Alfred Bruyas who is Courbet's patrons and himself is a painter. Bruyas removed his right glove to shake Courbet hand but Courbet did not returned the gesture.

A Burial at Ornans

     

The stone breakers

These paintings show the misery of peasant life A Burial at Ornans depicts his great uncle's country funeral. 

 The second painting depicts two dirt-poor labourers busy at grindingly hard work.

His inspiration came from group portraits of Dutch Civic guards in the17th century while the sumptuous blacks recall Spanish art. The colours in the dark greens and dull grey produces an austere tone, robust technique gives the people and the natural elements and weight.

The stone breakers painting are shown two men, On the right side there is an old man and on the left is a younger man. Courbet expresses  the feelings of hardship.

He painted the merciless soil and harsh working conditions of the stone breakers. Courbet use colours palette of greys, whites and browns effectively conveys the dreary, monotonous and mechanical nature of their work.   

 

Jean Francois Millet

Jean francois Millet was born October 4th ,1814. He is a French painter in the late 19th century. His paintings depicted scenes of peasants and rural life. He was a founder of the Barbizon school.

Jean Francois Millet

 The Gleaners by Jean-Francois millet

This is an oil painting by Millet.  It was first exhibited in 1857. In this painting shows three women picking wheat from a field after a harvest.  The three women are in a  stark and barren foreground, there faces are hidden under the shadow of red,blue and yellow bonnets. The three are depicted as folded from the waist as if carrying a heavy and crushing load. one of the ladies rest her arms across her back, to keep her balance or to support exhausted muscles.

The sun is shining but not on the Gleaners. Behind the in the background are hired workers, people fortunate enough to have jobs, and healthy enough to work these jobs. They are bathed in sunlight there clothes are pure white. The darker tones are in the foreground while the brighter colours are in the background. This gives a feeling or mood of lack of harmony in the painting. 

Website

no author. 2015. khan academy. [ONLINE] Available at: https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/becoming-modern/avant-garde-france/realism/a/courbet-the-sto

nebreakers.

[Accessed 24 February 15].

no author. 2015. Khan Academy. [ONLINE] Available at: https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/becoming-modern/avant-garde-france/realism/a/courbet-bonjour-monsieur-courbet.[Accessed 24 February 15].

El Conquistador. 2010. Les Glaneuses, a painting by Jean-François Millet. [ONLINE] Available at:http://elconquistador.org/?page_id=6692. [Accessed 27 February 15].

Books

Cumming,R (2005). Art. London: Dorling Kindersley. 

Farthing,S (2008). Great Artist. 2nd ed. united states : Tristan de lancey. 

Janes, K. I. a. Z., 2011. Great Paintings. London