How Was Gothic Art Influenced by Spirituality?

Gothic art of all types was influenced by spirituality. Gothic art reflects the deeply religious focus of daily life. The influence is seen in more aspects than just the design of churches and cathedrals. The definition of the term "gothic" is important to know when discussing its connection to spirituality as well as its place in history in general.

During the time in which Gothic style was prevalent, daily life had a religious aspect to it that is perhaps difficult for us to imagine today. The church held sway over people’s beliefs and educations in a way that it no longer does, and had such a huge impact on the culture of the time as to be one of the deciding factors in what people believed and what they knew.

Therefore, everything created during this time, from building designs to sculptures and paintings, focused on the idea of religion: a heaven, and a God, far above us, who influenced our lives and kept us from evil.

Gothic art and spirituality hold a natural connection that’s easy to see once one realizes how deeply ingrained religion was in the lives of those creating the Gothic style.

• Dramatic, steep pillars reaching for the sky were the architects' way of bringing their cathedrals and churches closer to God.
• Realistic, dignified statues and sculptures of Jesus and Mary were an artist’s humble offering to those who symbolized the most important things in life.

Gothic art and spirituality weren’t just related: one expressed the other, and was inspired by the other, in a way that makes sense as soon as one understands the context and culture of the time. The beautiful creations of the Gothic period were not just created for beauty’s sake alone: they were the artists’ way of paying homage to, and perhaps bringing themselves closer to, a God that symbolized the most important aspects of their lives.

History of Gothic Art

From the middle of the 12th century to approximately the 16th century, Gothic art was the dominant style throughout Europe. Closely following on the heels of Romanesque design, and giving way eventually to Renaissance style. Gothic art was a unique stepping-stone between the two with many dramatic, defining characteristics of its own.

Gothic Architecture: Spiked Towers and Pointed Arches

Gothic is best known as a style of architecture, which was what the word was originally used to describe. Gothic architecture is a well-known term that gives us all mental images of spiked cathedral towers and steep pointed arches, dramatically reaching for the sky. All of these design elements are certainly the hallmark of Gothic architecture, and are well known by almost everyone regardless of their understanding of the Gothic time period.

Gothic Art: Steep Arches and Smooth Lines

Defining what constitutes Gothic art is not as clear-cut as it is with the architecture. There are no specific characteristics that are universal and easily recognized. One could say that the sculptures of the time, primarily used to decorate the cathedrals, were Gothic in design, with sleek dramatic lines and a serene, almost reverent smoothness that sometimes took years for the artist to perfect.

Stained glass, wood carvings, and other art forms were also popular at the time, and were typically done with naturally inspired, organic lines of grace. These pieces almost always depicted religious icons such as the Virgin Mary, and were touched with a sort of reverence in their realistic depictions.

Influenced by Spirituality

In general, then, whether talking about art or architecture, it’s fairly safe to say that Gothic design is characterized by tall, vertically-reaching steep lines, with pointed arches and tall spikes reaching for the sky. Gothic art was reverent and realistic, and crafted with the utmost care by respectful artists anxious to depict their religious subjects in beautiful detail. When you look at this art, it should thus be easy to see how was Gothic art influenced by spirituality.