Task 3. Gothic sculpture

Gothic sculpture, like Romanesque sculpture, had a religious and didactic purpose . The main important religious themes were the crucified Christ ad the Virgin with the Child.

However Gothic sculptures had several important changes:

a.Free standing sculptures were more numerous. Sculptures were being free from the adaptation to the architecture. Carved sculptures and reliefs were decreasing.

b.Figures were much more realistic and naturalistic , clothes , attitudes, feelings ... were more detailed.

c.Gothic figures had a lot of movement and curved lines were really common. d.Sculptures tried to show feelings like happiness, sadness or pain.

Types of sculptures.

1. Most sculptures were made of stone although wooden sculpture grew up especially the Virgin with this Child .

2. Sculptural reliefs continued façades of churches and cathedrals. However capitals were less important than Romanesque sculptures and were decorated with vegetables motives ( plant motifs)

Portada del Juicio Final de la catedral de Chartres

3. Other places became more important and were decorated with sculptures as great altarpieces which shows scenes of Christ life and the Holy Family or images of Saints. The choir stalls were decorated with complex scenes.

4. Funeral sculptures was also important. Tombs were decorated with religious images and with a portrait of the dead person trying to represent the dead in a realistic way ( realistically or in a realistic manner).

5. On the roof , as drainage, were sculptured the gargoyles which represented fantastic beings.