Gothic

The Gothic style first appeared in the early 12th century in northern France and rapidly spread beyond its origins in architecture to sculpture, textiles and painting, including frescoes, stained glass and illuminated manuscripts. Characterised by sophistication and power, these new Gothic forms were embraced by monarchies, the church and a growing bourgeois class throughout Europe, with versions of the style still in use as late as the 1550s.

Features

Header image: Model of The West Front of Notre Dame Cathedral, Reims, possibly made by E.C. Hakewill, 1840, England. Museum no. MISC.3-1928. © Victoria and Albert Museum, London