Art

Gothic art flourished in Europe in the mid-12th century and drew significant inspiration from religion.  One of the earliest Gothic structures was made by Abbot Suger of the monastery of Saint-Denis in the region of Ile-de-France near Paris (Gunderson 11).  Suger wanted Saint-Denis to be the center of religion of France so he decided to remodel the church in Saint-Denis.  Suger, a lover of architecture, incorporated all the elements of architecture he had seen during his travels to other continents such as sculpted, arched doorways and  decorated front and sides (Gunderson 11).  Suger also incorporated a major change, marking a big difference between Gothic and Romanesque architecture. Suger had windows installed ribbed vaults that support the roof of the building to allow placement of more windows.  The reason for this is to allow more light to enter inside the church.  Suger believed that  light was of holy origin and was the link between the spirit and body and heaven and earth  (Gunderson 12).  This was in contrast to Romanesque architecture, where darkness and gloominess are pervasive.

    At the time when Gothic art was flourishing, religious wars brought Europeans in contact with other cultures, such as those of the Byzantine Empire and Islamic Arabia.  Constant contact with the Muslims impacted Gothic architecture significantly.  According to Christopher Wren, one of the most prominent architects in English history, the origins of Gothic architecture can be traced back to the Crusaders, largely through intermediary action of Moorish Spain (Saglia 259). 

He established the Saracenic theory, which holds that both historical facts and physical characteristics of Gothic architecture are of Muslim origins (Muslim Heritage).  Wren said

        Modern Gothic, as it is called, is deduced from a different quarter it is     distinguished by the lightness of its work, by the excessive boldness of its elevations,     and of its sections by the delicacy, profusion, and extravagant fancy of its     ornaments. The pillars of this kind are as slender as those of the ancient Gothic are     massive such productions, so airy, cannot admit the heavy Goths for their author how     can be attributed to them a style of architecture, which was only introduced in the tenth century of our era (Muslim Heritage)
   
    Mudejar Architecture, an amalgam of Spanish and Moorish architecture, was a popular style in Spain from the thirteenth to fifteenth century.  The cathedral in Seville, the largest Gothic structure in the planet and the third largest cathedral in Europe, is one of the last to be built in Gothic fashion (Porter  Prince 9).  The facade is ornately decorated and like many Gothic cathedrals, has a large nave. 

    It was natural for the English to spread their culture in India, when they set foot in the country as conquerors. The English adapted the Neo-Gothic style in India.  It is manifested in Victoria Terminus, conceived as a cathedral to modernization.  Victoria Terminus has  groin-vaulted ceilings and stained-glass windows, and resembles a Western Church with a gabled facade and flanking towers (Kleiner 713).       

    One of the few Gothic structures built in Southeast Asia is the San Sebastian Church. Don Bernardino Castillo, a generous Spanish patron in the Philippines who was also a devotee of San Sebastian, had a dream of building the first steel church in Asia (De Jesus).  Spanish architect Genero Palacios and two Belgian engineers supervised the construction of the church (De Jesus).  The abundance of windows and the pointed arches of the entryways of San Sebastian are very characteristic of Gothic architecture.

    Like many styles, Gothic art is a combination of styles and influences from different culture.  As it is introduced to a new place, the style is altered to fit the culture of that place.