Ancient Egyptian Architecture and the Gothic Architecture .

Chapter 16 Essay

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Chapter 16 Essay

Each era is associated with different characteristics in terms of dressing, technological development, and architecture. There are also differences in the places where the architecture is found. Each place has a unique print of architecture. An excellent example is Ancient Egyptian Architecture. It is renowned for the Pyramids at Giza, the sphynx, among others. The same applies to the gothic era. It is a period that was divided into three sections, namely early Gothic, High Gothic, and International GothiC. It ranged between 1150-1450 AD. It is characterized by significant architectural advances such as the Trumeau South Portal, among others. This paper is an analysis of the architecture that is associated with the era and comparison between the gothic and the other phases f architecture. Some of the significant comparisons will emerge from the romanesque, classical, and Egyptian Architecture.

The first significant characteristics of Gothic architecture is that it had sizeable Stained gLass windows. The worship places of the gothic cathedrals had long windows that were made of cut glass. They were made this way to allow more natural light to flow into the cathedrals hence reduced use of artificial lighting. The cut glass was also a means of decorating the worship places. There were also cases when the architects made the glass out of tracery. It was a decorative sone that was mentioned in some of the biblical stories.

The second characteristic is the use of fo pointed arches. They were mainly leading to doorways and windows. It was a measure that was used for both decoration and support. When the arches were arranged in a row, they were called arcades and were used in hallways of places such as churches. The third characteristic of this architecture was ribbed vaults. They were a measure that was used to help attain high roofs and ceilings, especially in the places of worship. They were made by intersection barrel vaults that were parallel to one another. Their main aim was to support a rounded roof. Jut like the pointed arches, and tey was also used for decoration.

Furthermore, the architecture had flying buttresses. It was also a method of support since they distributed the weight from high and heavy roofs to lower levels. They were also a means to avoid sacrificing the long windows that allowed light into most places. Finally, there was the use of ornate decorations. The decorations varied from sculptures of people such as saints, gargoyles, and water spouts. They were made primarily for decoration and an increase in the complexity of the building, making it more noticeable. The decorative patterns were carved from several objects such as marble, rock, and even wood. In the time of the gothic architecture, most of the lifestyles revolved around religion. The people used different beliefs to make pieces of art.

An example of the above is the belief that there will be a judgment on tHE final years. It was one of the te characteristics of the roman catholic church. Due to the belief, the people made a sculpture named the Last Judgment Tympanum at Autun. It was based on the belief of pilgrims that the lord ould come back to cleanse the earth. The belief of heaven and =hell is also seen in the sculpture since the devil is seen emerging from a toothy maw.  The people also made artwork from wood and bronze to represent significant happenings such as the death of Jesus Christ.

In conclusion, The gothic architecture is similar to the Egyptian culture since most f it represented their gods and religion. In the Egyptian culture, the people believed in God, such as Ibis, Osiris, set, among others. The gods were powerful beings who ruled the whole of Egypt, with each of them performing a different function. The Egyptians made sculptures of them and used them m in their architecture. They also displayed some of their economic activities, such as irrigation along the Nile valley. Egyptian architecture was, however, different from the Gothic culture since they mainly had small openings such as windows. In the pyramids, for example, the windows are small compared to the size of the building.