neo-gothic-architecture
You may think Gothic refers to black nail polish, pale makeup, and ugly shoes; or perhaps it conjures up haunted houses, emo music, and Wuthering Heights. But as you’ve learned by now in class, Gothic was a term applied by Renaissance-era Italians to describe the ornate, soaring cathedrals of France, Germany, and England from about 1200 to 1400.
There was, however, a moment of what is called the Neo-Gothic that proliferated in art, architecture, and literature in the first half of the 1800s. It’s this period — the one of Frankenstein, Romantic poetry, and emotionally dark paintings — that is more closely connected with “the Goth.” During this time, there was a revitalized taste in Gothic architecture. The largest Gothic cathedral in Europe, the Cologne Cathedral, was finally completed at this time, following 600 years of disinterest. And, in fact, our highest centers of learning in the newly established United States chose as its architecture Neo-Gothic design.
For this discussion, answer the following:
- WHY did the Neo-Gothic style become popular again in the nineteenth century? Be sure to cite your answer.
- Provide an example of nineteenth-century Neo-Gothic architecture.
- Preferably provide an example of something that you have seen in person, perhaps on a college campus.
- Attach a jpeg image of the building
- Give its details (location, name, purpose, etc).
- Point out the features of the building that make it Gothic.
