Gothic: from the Middle Ages to the present day. Gothic style in the interior: a bold harmony of antique and modern aesthetics Modern Gothic interior

In the XIII century, initially in architecture, and then in the interior, a style appeared that is called Gothic. For the first time, the great Raphael called him that, and in a pejorative sense. He contrasted the style of St. Peter's with Roman aesthetic models, and in a report to the Pope on how the construction was progressing, he called it Gothic, in the sense devoid of true beauty, barbaric.

The Gothic style of the interior has some kind of mysticism - stained-glass windows, striking in their multicolor, on huge windows, lancet vaults. The main distinguishing feature of the style is vertical elements, there are many of them, as if the whole space rushes up, due to which rigor and majesty are achieved. Among other important elements that distinguish the interior in the Gothic style:

very large windows;
abundance of light;
complex vault shapes.

Gothic combines aristocratic elegance with sophistication and grandeur. Since the Middle Ages, the style has undergone many changes, it received a new life in the 19th-20th centuries, but even now its features can be traced in the interior design of expensive restaurants, hotels and some country houses. The style will allow you to create an interior that is unique in its uniqueness, but it is hardly suitable for small-sized "Khrushchev" and panel high-rise buildings - Gothic requires space, height and an abundance of light.

And in a country mansion, apartments there is an opportunity to turn around, but even here you should not reproduce the Gothic interior in its original form - it can turn out to be a mystically gloomy room. Give preference to gothic styling by choosing the main features to emphasize the luxury of the interior.

Gothic style in interior design

Gothic room interior

Unusual apartment design in the Gothic style

Modern gothic interior

First of all, the Gothic style in the interior is space and a lot of light. Therefore, it is better to choose spacious rooms with high ceilings for styling. If you originally conceived the design of a cottage in the Gothic style - pay attention to the windows - they should be high, ending on top with an arch with lancet points. The shape of the windows is elongated, vertical.

For interior design, only natural materials are assumed, among which three should be preferred:

a natural stone;
wood;
metal.

Plastic, artificial materials - this is not for the Gothic. Leave them to the present, and marble, expensive woods will be appropriate here - for furniture that will be decorated with carvings. It can be decorated with gilding, because the main thing in a Gothic interior is chic and luxury. The right choice of materials and the distribution of all decorative elements will create a living room in the style of medieval castles, and a bedroom in the style of royal chambers.

Gothic style in the interior of the apartment

Gothic apartment design

Materials for finishing the room

Naturalness is the main requirement when choosing materials. The walls in the Gothic interior are not the main thing, they are usually plain, but you can decorate them:

wood panels;
mosaic;
tapestries.

This is in the event that stained glass windows are not planned to be made, there is no possibility of creating arches, niches, otherwise the space will be cluttered, and the main style requirement will not be met - air, space. After all, the vertical features that characterize Gothic did not appear by chance - this is a desire upward, into the expanse of heaven.

Floor - it is better to make a plank or stone. The ceiling in the Gothic style involves painting or decorating with wooden beams.

Windows are a special detail of the interior, which is the organizing center when creating a stylized space. The historic Gothic building is characterized by high narrow windows, ending at the top with an arch divided into sectors. Another type of window that characterizes the interior of the Gothic style is the so-called "Gothic rose" - a rounded window, divided by a binding into equal parts in the form of a figured star, a blossoming flower.

In a modern version, such a window can become a decoration of the facade of a country cottage. But most often they are limited to large windows around the perimeter, decorated with stained-glass windows. They will give the facade an unusual look, and decorate the interior. In the historical understanding of the interior of the Gothic style, they should go along the perimeter of the house, letting in a lot of light into the rooms, creating an unusual effect.

Gothic style in interior design

Gothic room interior

Unusual apartment design in the Gothic style

Gothic style color palette

Color for Gothic in the interior is important. To create a room close to the historical stylization, light shades are chosen as the main tone: white, beige, milky. They will allow not to look gloomy in a room that uses the typical Gothic color scheme:

cherry;
ruby;
purple;
grey;
Navy blue;
blue-black tones.

Without a light background, the room would look gloomy, dull. Multi-colored stained-glass windows play especially brightly on it, in which various colors can be used: red, brown, yellow, blue.

In stained-glass windows, as well as in the decoration of furniture, decor items, wooden or stone carved elements, gold and silver threads are allowed.

Gothic style in the interior of the apartment

Gothic apartment design

Gothic style furniture

If everything in the Gothic interior tends to rise, then the furniture - even more so. It must be high:

double-leaf tall cabinets;
sideboards for dishes on high legs;
massive beds with high headboards;
upholstered chairs with high backs.

The table is massive, with a drawer protruding forward. Solid, luxurious furniture is made of dark wood, it can be decorated with carvings, complemented by forged fittings. Cabinet doors in the living room, kitchen can be decorated with stained glass inserts. Often cabinets are decorated with a "Gothic rose", thereby emphasizing the stylization of the interior. Dark carved elements of cabinets, beds, tables can be covered with gold and silver paint.

Important! Any furniture in the Gothic style should have its own secrets - secret drawers, caskets, chests.

Gothic style in interior design

Gothic room interior

Unusual apartment design in the Gothic style

In the living room, armchairs resembling a royal throne with high backs and armrests, round tables with carved legs are appropriate. Complement their marble countertops, mirrors, framed by a massive frame. A mandatory element of the living room is a fireplace with a metal grate in a wooden frame. Ideally, if it is decorated with Gothic ornaments, Celtic symbols. The fireplace can be finished with natural stone, marble, for example.

The bedroom should have a wide bed with carved columns and a canopy or wrought iron bed with a high headboard. Here you can also place a mirror, a table, a tall wardrobe. The stylization will be completed by a wooden chest with forged elements, a wicker rocking chair.

Important! Do not oversaturate the interior, trying to fit all the elements of style into it. Choose a few - otherwise, instead of a luxurious one, you can get a gloomy house that brings despondency.

Gothic style in the interior of the apartment

Gothic apartment design

Modern Gothic Interior Decor

In order not to oversaturate the interior with details characteristic of the Gothic style, you should not get carried away with numerous decorations. Balance the space.

If the windows are decorated with stained-glass windows, curtains are not needed. However, it is possible to decorate interior doors, furniture facades with stained-glass windows, then decorate the windows with dense heavy curtains on forged or massive wooden cornices.
Plain walls can be supplemented with trellises or tapestries - gothic paintings are not acceptable. Plots of tapestries are best found in medieval themes - knights, castles.
Upholstery of upholstered furniture - expensive fabrics: brocade, velvet. It is better to choose a dark color scheme - burgundy, dark blue, with a jacquard pattern or a smooth structure.
"Gothic rose" in itself is already a means of styling, and its location on the facades of cabinets, a fireplace is an element of decor.

Gothic style in interior design

Gothic room interior

Unusual apartment design in the Gothic style

Pretentious and sophisticated items will be appropriate in a Gothic living room - everything should emphasize the high status of the owners: stone sculptures, figures carved from wood or ivory, metal figurines, forged furniture, massive candlesticks.

Gothic interiors pay a lot of attention to light - a massive steel chandelier on low hangers, decorated with wrought iron candlesticks, completes the stylization. It is hung in the center of a high spacious living room and can be complemented by pendant lamps, wall sconces.

Gothic style in the interior of the apartment

Gothic apartment design

The main task of choosing a Gothic style for the interior is to create the atmosphere of a rich medieval castle. Considering that in the conditions of a modern home it is difficult to achieve a complete style match, it is better to choose only some elements characteristic of the Gothic style. They will create an effect of luxury without overloading the space.

Video: Gothic style in the interior

The Gothic style in architecture gave us beautiful examples, the beauty of which people admire to this day. Notre Dame Cathedral, Roman and Milan Cathedrals, Saint-Denis Abbey and hundreds of other beautiful buildings that cause spiritual awe and delight. The Gothic style in the interior has become a worthy continuation of these artistic traditions. His designs inspire modern designers no less than their long-time predecessors. Is it possible to apply the principles of the Gothic style to decorate the home of a modern person? Not only possible, but even necessary, because the gothic fashion is gaining momentum again.

The enlightened Romans called Goths the barbarian tribes that invaded the territory of the empire from the north and northwest. In the Middle Ages, the term "Gothic, Gothic" was rather mockingly contemptuous, representing a synonym for barbarism and even ignorance. This is the name given to distorted Latin. Renaissance artists introduced the term "Gothic" to denote emphatically majestic, even frightening in their size and proportions, structures. The name quickly caught on, and began to be used to denote the apogee of the heyday of the Romanesque style, after which its rapid decline followed.

Gothic buildings were built for a very long time, literally, for centuries. So, the famous Notre Dame de Paris was built for more than two centuries. Such is the fate of most of the monumental architectural forms of the Gothic known in our time.

A feature of Gothic structures was building innovation. The fan vault helped to partially relieve the load from the walls. Therefore, they could be built much higher, increase the number and size of window openings, decorate and decorate in the most intricate way. By the way, this technology laid the foundation for the frame construction system, which is so popular today.
Gothic structures had a special expression, as if frozen in the last effort in a hopeless attempt to reach the sky. The vaults directed upwards, with their sharp, disturbing decorations, high ceilings, lost in perspective, stained-glass windows whimsically refracting light, all this creates an atmosphere of mystical tension in an attempt to know either the eternal beauty, or the mystery of the sky, or the secret of the earth. In a word, the Gothic style touches the most hidden strings in the souls of people.

Such exaltation simply cannot exist in a high degree of intensity, therefore, immediately after the bright flash of medieval Gothic architectural thought, long years of indifferent attitude followed.
Centuries later, the interest in romance contributed to a new wave of popularity of Gothic as a style. The 18th and 19th centuries marked the beginning of a new era. In it, Gothic moved from high architectural spheres to a more chamber setting. Now, in the Gothic style, not cathedrals were built, but estates and palaces, which were decorated inside in the appropriate fashion.

Since then, the Gothic style has firmly entered the living space, where it continues to exist quite successfully.

Premises decorated in the Gothic style can be recognized immediately. The set of rules and basic markers of this design is quite expressive.

The general impression of Gothic can be characterized by the word "greatness". This feeling is achieved through the use of special architectural elements in the style. Extended window openings, elongated upwards, or round, are decorated with bright stained-glass windows. Ceilings will have a vaulted appearance, or at least the illusion of one.
The walls are no longer just a structural element, and carry their own artistic load. At the request of the owner, this can be carving, painting, bas-reliefs, or special structural elements, the so-called "fish bones". Embossed ribs emerge from the wall and meet under the ceiling, forming a high and lancet dome. Of course, it is quite difficult to implement such an image in an ordinary city apartment, therefore, perhaps, it is worth limiting ourselves to such elements that are available for implementation by most of our readers.

Let's digress from complex architectural forms and turn to decorative features, for the implementation of which it is not necessary to redo the structure of the house.
The floors for the Gothic interior can be made of plank or stone, and they can also be finished with numerous options for ceramic tiles, which provide an excellent opportunity to show off your imagination by laying out intricate stone mosaics or choosing a design in the form of worn-out stones of an ancient temple.
Windows in a Gothic interior simply must be inscribed in the image of the room. For this, enlarged openings, a stained-glass window or a mosaic, at least on part of the glass, and lancet binding are used. Frames and soffits can be painted lead gray or anodized aluminum to give the impression of lead framing, which was common in early Gothic.

Above the doorway, you can make a rose window or, at least, arrange its imitation, with stained glass inserts. This will bring the image of the created interior closer to the Gothic style.
The color scheme, contrary to popular belief, is supposed to be bright. Saturated colors are needed, an idea of which can be obtained by looking at any stained-glass window of the Gothic style. Azure, carmine red, lemon, antimony, green, crimson, purple, thick ultramarine - all this is a great choice for a luxurious gothic interior. Although, if the task is to give the room a mystery and a touch of mystical exaltation, so characteristic of the Gothic style, it is worth choosing thick, heavy tones. Wine, royal blue, coniferous green, scarlet will do just fine. Lilac and purple, black and gold will help to adequately complete the picture.

The love of architecture does not leave Gothic. This is reflected in the high backs of the furniture, which are decorated with details like those found in castles and temples of the Middle Ages. As for carpentry decorations, they are quite refined, refined and complex.
Typical pieces of furniture for a Gothic interior are chairs with straight high backs, hard armchairs, tall cabinets and sideboards. All furniture meets the desire of the Gothic to rise higher, the legs of all interior items are high, and the backs are often enlarged due to additional decorations, finials and carved elements that are attached from above.
In Gothic interiors, special desktops appeared, with a drawer and an expressive table top, which was supported by powerful ends.
As for the bedroom, for her the main subject, of course, was the bed. Not only was she a very impressive sight in itself, with high carved backs, a wide mattress, satin gold-woven bedspreads, but she was also decorated with a canopy or a special rigid structure, on which fabrics were also attached.

Another important element of the Gothic furnishings was the chest. If it had a flat lid, then it was used as a table, seat, stand. Such chests were stacked on top of each other and it turned out something like a modern modular storage system. Chests with a round, sloping lid served as safes, wardrobes and cupboards.
To create a Gothic style in the interior, both earlier and now, mainly natural materials are used. Fabric, among which a special place is occupied by velvet and satin, leather, wood, stone, stone and glass mosaics, ceramics, majolica. At the same time, the sculpture is preferably painted, and the glass is colored.

Ornaments and decorative overlays, forged headboards for beds and armchairs were made from metal. So, if you add several elements of forged design to the created interior, they will harmoniously complement the image of the room.
Paintings are rarely used as decorations for the interior of the Gothic style. But craft products of the finest workmanship will be most appropriate. Early Gothic was formed just during the heyday of craftsmen's crafts. Therefore, the most exquisite mosaics, carvings, fabric patterns, painting on plaster, and other products that craft guilds could provide were very popular for decorating the interior spaces of Gothic interiors.

Despite the understandable, albeit intricate logic of the Gothic style, many doubt how you can fit it into a modern living room. We have specially made a selection of photographs of various variations of the modern Gothic style to demonstrate its possibilities in decoration.

Here is a very original study, decorated in a modern Gothic style.
The height of the room is emphasized by modified window openings with rounded tops. Contrasting ceiling strips create associations with a medieval castle. This impression is also intended to be supported by a wall with an exposed brick inlay.
Black furniture, the presence of a large number of natural materials provide a luxurious interior image.
Crystal pendants of intricate shape, with cones and faceted balls, look original. Such an unusual accent immediately allows you to intuitively determine the stylistic affiliation of the room.

This dining room was the most ordinary room. But the rich color of the parquet board, the patterned textile wallpaper, the bright red carpet and the hard lambrequin, which changed the perception of the window, gave the room a quite distinct Gothic flavor.
The look is successfully complemented by a polished ebony table and a set of exquisite chairs that look like they are forged from metal.
Decorative elements - a mirror in the form of the sun with long rays, metal decors in the center of the table - harmoniously complement the interior.
But white table lamps with stands for lampshades in the form of Greek amphoras are clearly superfluous here. The figures of fantastic gargoyles or wandering monks would be more suitable here. And the white, matte surface of the lampshades looks too soft in this interior. The structure of stone, iron or lacquered wood would be more appropriate.

This living room recreates late Gothic style as it intersects with Victorian. The resulting image is distinguished by great elegance and restraint compared to early Gothic examples.
Forged elements of fine workmanship attract attention. They are found in the form of furniture legs, wall decoration, which seems to be designed to replace the traditional rose window. Yes, and in decorative gizmos there are a lot of forged parts.
The skillful carving of the decorative screen continues the predetermined line of elegance and whimsical forms. The rounded upper segments skillfully and unobtrusively make up for the absence of lancet windows and ceiling vaults.
The patterns of the carpet and the ornamentation of the furniture fabrics put the final point in the image of the Victorian Gothic living room. Fresh flowers successfully enliven the interior and make it much more homely and cozy.

Another example of the irresistibility of human imagination, which turned an ordinary bathroom into a charming gothic haven.
The rich chocolate shade of the walls creates a cozy, even intimate, mood. The matte surface is successfully emphasized by the shiny frames of the mirrors, made in fine embossed technique.
Quite modern bath fits well into the interior, perhaps due to its underlined minimalist outlines that do not distract attention from the expressive details.
But a small chair with a back in the form of a black openwork pointed petal looks very elegant. It is complemented by a whimsically executed table with a miniature black lamp with a glossy texture. It seems that this place is intended for old-fashioned and leisurely reading aloud to a loved one, who at this time is soaking in the bath.

Very expressive stylization of the Gothic style for the bedroom. A luxurious bed, with a high carved headboard, with a traditional central ornamental figure, is complemented by an analogue of a canopy - curtains on the wall.
Mahogany floors, black and red furniture, fragmentary wall decoration - one of them is red, with a gold pattern, and the openings near the window are finished with wooden panels - create an expressive and disturbing image.
It is emphasized by an unusual lamp, on the branches of which there are luminous prickly balls. In this room, everything impresses - a mirror in a wide silver frame, and black silk linen, and decorative pillows with coal-velvety patterns on a gold background. Even some disorder in the room only helps the perception, emphasizing some of the tension that is characteristic of the Gothic.

Gothic style in the interior gives very unusual, expressive and capacious images. True romantics or mystics, travelers and wanderers, in a word, those people in whom the spirit of adventure has not yet died, should try some kind of this design. The result of such an interior experiment will surprise and delight

The Gothic style replaced the Romanesque and became the main architectural style in Western Europe from the 12th century onwards. The interiors of luxurious Gothic castles and mansions still amaze the imagination of their visitors.

The most prominent representatives of the Gothic style are temples and religious buildings of the Middle Ages. However, they are not inferior to the interiors of many civil buildings of that time.

In those days, religious buildings sought to build as high as possible, from where the fashion for vaulted ceilings. Since such ceilings require stable support, Gothic structures have a large number of arches. The sharpness and height of the lancet arch requires a different thrust force of the supporting structures. Thus, the higher and sharper the arch, the less it bursts the load-bearing walls.

The gaps between the arches and columns were completely filled windows, often decorated with stained-glass windows. Such windows were a source of a lot of light in a Gothic temple or palace, despite the stained glass windows.

The main characteristics of the Gothic style

Gothic buildings are characterized by a large interior space, majestic fireplaces, numerous spiers. The main distinguishing features of the Gothic style include: aspiration upwards, external lightness and expressiveness. In general, the room in the Gothic style is quite spacious, decorated windows with stained glass, It has intersecting details in the interior, uneven, ribbed ceiling, many arches, balconies.

Of the bright details of the Gothic style, it is worth noting forged objects and details, stone carvings, portals, beam-shaped columns, lace patterns, vaults and flying buttresses. Gothic in the interior can be described as the personification of unearthly beauty, mystery, majesty.

Colors in the Gothic interior

Since the Gothic style was formed in the Middle Ages, when preference was given to dark colors, then modern Gothic interiors do not differ in particular brightness of color. The most popular gothic colors are dark green, carnation pink, black, dark red, ruby, purple, beige, ocher and purple.

As a rule, in any Gothic interior you can find silver and gold colors, which are designed to emphasize the luxury of the room. It is impossible not to note the special atmosphere created by frescoes and stained-glass windows, which harmoniously fit into the color scheme of the room.

Materials for creating an interior in the Gothic style

The Gothic interior uses t only natural finishing materials. Basically, it is marble, cobblestone, limestone, tiled mosaic, majolica stone, wood of various species, iron and bronze. In a word, these are all the materials that were available in the Middle Ages.

The walls can be decorated with stylized wood panels, various murals, tapestries, panels. Usually all plots are drawn up on religious themes.

To finish the floor, boards and stone are used, on top of which carpets are laid.

As mentioned earlier, the ceiling in the Gothic interior has the shape of a vault, which is supported by columns. Modern Gothic interiors also use beam and rafter ceilings. The design allows for various paintings, stucco molding, and the formation of tiers.

Furniture in a Gothic interior

The Gothic style is characterized by high two-door wardrobes with 4-9 panels, high-backed chairs, high sideboards, high-backed beds. In general, the interior should have features reminiscent of the medieval furnishings of churches and castles. Adherents of the early Gothic are advised to pay attention to the massive furniture in dark shades.

It is worth noting that in any room in the Gothic style, traditional furniture is box which can also be used as a seat, table or bed. In the old days, chests were often placed on top of each other, thus creating a semblance of a closet.

The interior in the late Gothic style is characterized by the presence fireplaces, bookcases and sideboards with stained glass windows. The late Gothic period is considered the starting point when stained glass began to gain particular popularity. The most popular motif is gothic rose which has been used throughout. The gothic style table is characterized by a far protruding tabletop, as well as a deep drawer.

A bed in the Gothic style must necessarily have a canopy and a large wooden frame. The bedroom can also have a massive chest of drawers with mirrors that acts as a dressing table.

In general, furniture in the Gothic style is characterized by massiveness, a large number of panels with patterns, elaborate hinges on the doors, as well as metal stripes as decoration.

Lighting, textiles and accessories in the Gothic interior

The interior in the early Gothic style is characterized by windows framed with lead. In this case, curtains were not used at all. The Middle Ages are characterized by wide curtains for the entire length of the window, as well as woven curtains. Popularized during the late Gothic period curtains made of massive velvet fabrics with an ornament in the form of lancet patterns. For the manufacture of cornices used wood or iron.

In bedrooms, the most common textiles are canopies and bedspreads, often handmade carpets.

As for lighting, Gothic interiors are characterized massive chandeliers, consisting of a hoop, metal chains and a bowl for candles. In some cases, they used wooden chandeliers. During the late Gothic period, chandeliers began to be decorated with various details in the form of leaves, flowers and other things. Medieval prototypes of modern floor lamps were often used - standing metal lamps. In the daytime, light entered the room through the windows in the walls and in the ceiling.

The design of the Gothic interior is characterized by weapons, heraldic attributes, and various details reminiscent of the knightly era. To create an atmosphere of mystery, you can use figures and images in the form of chimeras, dragons, witches and other mystical representatives. In rooms with two or more floors are used spiral wrought iron stairs. Create an atmosphere of mystery mirrors in massive frames, goblets and candlesticks made of metal, fireplaces, ivory decorative elements.

In general, the Gothic interior requires a lot of space, so it is advisable to design it in private homes.

The culmination of the development of medieval European art is the restrained mystical Gothic, which replaced the magnificent luxury of the Romanesque style. Bright mosaic stained-glass windows, needles of spiers pointing upwards, the radiance of gilding, expression, a symphony of a harmonious combination of light, glass and stone - this is how you can figuratively characterize it in the interior. The term appeared in sunny Italy during the Renaissance. So ironically the Romans called the primitivism of the barbarian culture of the Middle Ages fading into oblivion. At first, this word was used in literature, when the author wanted, with some degree of irony, to designate distorted Latin in the text. Later, this term began to refer to a certain architecture, which in a nutshell can be called eerily majestic.

It is not so easy to reproduce the Gothic style in modern dwellings, but its individual elements are quite often used when creating country house projects.

During the construction of Gothic buildings and their decoration, expensive natural materials are used:

a rock;
marble;
oak, pine, spruce, walnut, cedar and juniper wood.

The decor of a Gothic house always implies the presence, so it is decorated with:

tiled mosaic;
multi-colored stained-glass windows;
figured painted or gold-plated stucco;
chests covered with genuine leather;
an abundance of bronze and metal fittings.

Color solution

Saturated colors are an integral part of the Gothic style. The color scheme of a Gothic room is usually based on concentrated red, brown, yellow and blue tones. Stylistic accents are made in gold and silver. And for introducing contrasting elements into the interior, purple, ruby, green or blue-black colors are great.

The main attributes are a forged spiral staircase, a fireplace with a forged grate and colorful artistic stained-glass windows. Multi-colored art stained-glass windows with built-in internal lighting can become a spectacular decoration of the walls. Depictions of the Gothic rose, lily, shamrock, vine leaves or cruciferous on stained glass windows or applied to fabric, wood or stone surfaces are characteristic features of the Gothic.

In the era of dawn, easel painting and book miniatures were actively developed. Therefore, typical craft items here are such as:

woodcarving;
stone carving;
ceramics;
glass products;
hardware;
miniature ivory sculptures.

Furniture

The room must have tall sideboards and double-leaf wardrobes with panels, palace beds and chairs with high backs, imitating the architectural fragments of knight's castles and majestic medieval churches.

A separate place in the Gothic interior is given to chests, which, if necessary, can serve as tables, beds and benches. It is customary to put chests one on top of the other, decorating the resulting structure with lancet vaults, in order to obtain an impromptu wardrobe in this way.

The Gothic table should have a fairly deep drawer and a significantly protruding tabletop, the base of which is two supports. And under the folding tabletop, many tiny drawers and compartments should be hidden from prying eyes.

Massive Gothic furniture, as a rule, is made of dark wood, decorated with exquisite carvings and various forged elements.

The ceiling in a Gothic room should be high enough, because Gothic is, first of all, skyward-looking architecture. If required by the design on the ceiling, an imitation of carved beam ceilings is made.

The walls, as a rule, are finished with wooden panels or decorative stone, decorated with bright Gothic paintings, multi-colored tiled mosaics and old tapestries.

Of course, the presence of huge high windows, for which the walls are only a small frame, multi-colored stained-glass windows, the play of natural light and a large stained-glass rose window above the entrance to the room creates a unique "face" of the Gothic style. Stained glass windows, made in the form of lancet arches, are considered the most recognizable feature of the Gothic style. Doors should be oak and paneled.

A photo

As you can see, contrary to popular belief, Gothic is not a synonym for gloom and severity, on the contrary, it can be bright and light, spiritualized, irrational, aspiring to spiritual heights. Gothic stylization turns an ordinary apartment into a mysterious castle, in which the kitchen becomes the laboratory of an alchemist magician, the dining room becomes a magnificent banquet hall, and an ordinary bedroom becomes a luxurious bedchamber.

If you have dreamed of living in a beautiful castle since childhood, let your imagination run wild and boldly start design experiments.

Video

We offer you to familiarize yourself with the video material about the history of the creation of the Gothic style.

Romanesque art and the established style were replaced by Gothic art ( Gothic; from ital. gotico - Gothic, after the name of the Germanic tribe ready). Term Gothic As a synonym for barbarism, it was first used by Renaissance people to characterize medieval art (as opposed to Roman art), which did not follow the traditions and stylistic features of antiquity and therefore was of no interest to contemporaries.

Increased exaltation and interest in feelings distinguish this art from the Romanesque. Between romanesque and gothic style it is difficult to draw a chronological boundary.

The heyday of the Romanesque style, which falls on the 12th century, at the same time served as an impetus for the emergence of another style with other characteristic aesthetic ideals and principles for the addition of forms. In the history of art, it is customary to single out early, mature (high) and late (so-called flaming) Gothic. High Gothic reached its peak in the XIII century, late - in the XIV-XV centuries. Gothic art, developing in countries where the Christian church dominated, remained predominantly cult in purpose and religious in theme. It is characterized by a symbolic-allegorical type of thinking and the conventionality of artistic language. From the Romanesque style, Gothic inherited the primacy of architecture in the system of arts and traditional types of buildings. A special place in Gothic art was occupied by the cathedral - the highest example of the synthesis of architecture, sculpture and painting.

Gothic style in architecture

Cathedral in Strasbourg. End of XII-XV centuries. France - Strasbourg Cathedral Cathedral in Cologne. Construction began in 1248, completed in 1842-1880. Germany - Cologne Cathedral Cathedral in Reims, west facade. Construction began in 1211, completed in the 15th century. Notre Dame Cathedral, west facade. 1163-ser. 14th century France - Notre Dame Cathedral Salisbury Cathedral, lancet arches. England - Salisbury Cathedral Exeter Cathedral. 1112-1400 England - Cathedral Church of St. Peter in Exeter Lincoln Cathedral of Our Lady. 1185-1311 England - The Cathedral Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Lincoln Cathedral of Chartres, north portal. Construction began in 1194, consecrated in 1260 France - Chartres Cathedral ... the western (royal) portal, completed in 1150. The sculptures are a visible transition from Romanesque to Gothic

The gigantic expanse of the cathedral, directed upwards, the subordination of sculpture to the rhythms of architectural articulations, the stone carving of decorative ornaments, and the painting of stained glass windows had a strong emotional impact on the faithful.

Urban architectural ensembles included cult and secular buildings, fortifications, bridges, etc. The main city square was often lined with residential buildings with arcades, on the lower floors of which there were retail and warehouse premises. Along the streets diverging from the square and along the embankments, two- and three-story houses were built, often with high gables.

Cities were surrounded by powerful walls with travel towers. Castles gradually turned into complex complexes of fortresses, palaces and cultural buildings.

Usually a cathedral was built in the center of the city, which was the cultural center of the whole city. Divine services were held in it, theological disputes were arranged, mysteries were played out, meetings of the townspeople were held. In that era, construction was carried out not only by the church, but also by the community through professional workshops of artisans.

The most significant buildings and, above all, cathedrals, were built at the expense of the townspeople. Often many generations worked on the creation of one temple. The grandiose Gothic cathedrals differed sharply from the monastic churches of the Romanesque style. They are tall, richly decorated and very roomy.

The dynamism and picturesqueness of the cathedrals began to define the character of the urban landscape. Following the cathedral, city houses also rushed up. The entire composition of the cathedral, with the rhythmics of all its main elements increasing from bottom to top, was generated by the religious, idealistic aspiration of the soul to heaven. The Gothic cathedral developed the basilica type of building, in which all its elements began to obey a single style system. The main difference between a Gothic cathedral and a Romanesque one is a stable frame system, in which the main role is played by cross-rib lancet vaults made of stone and lancet arches, which largely determine the internal and external appearance of the cathedral.

The frame arches formed at the intersection of the cross vaults, the so-called ribs (from the French nervure - rib, fold) in mature Gothic, connected the supports of the spans of the central and side aisles, where for each rectangular span of the main nave there were two square side spans naves.

The forms of architecture began to express the Christian idea of spirituality, ascension, aspiration upward, towards heaven. A feature of the Gothic style is the dematerialization of form. The design and properties of the material no longer determine the visual image. Entering the temple, a person saw a row of thin columns going up, which ended with a bunch of even thinner ribs of the vaults (ribs), as if floating in height. In fact, these huge vaults pressed against special pillars hidden in a bundle of thin columns. The lateral thrust of the vaults of the main nave was extinguished not by the walls, which were solid stone lace, but through flying buttresses by massive pillars-buttresses, carried out and supporting the frame of the buildings and therefore invisible to a person inside the cathedral. Here the visual image did not coincide with the work of the real structure. If the design worked for compression, then the visual image expressed the idea of ascension, the aspiration of the soul to heaven.

The complex frame construction of the Gothic cathedral, the highest manifestation of the architectural and building art of that time, made it possible to overcome the massiveness of the Romanesque buildings, to lighten the walls and vaults, to ensure the unity and interconnection of all elements of its object-spatial environment.

Gothic originated in the northern part of France (Ile-de-France) in the middle of the XII century, reached its peak in the first half of the XIII century. and lasted until the mid 1920s. 16th century Stone Gothic cathedrals received their classical form in France. As a rule, these are 3-5-nave basilicas with a transverse nave-transept and a semi-circular bypass of the choir (deambulatory-thorium), which is adjoined by radial chapels (crown of chapels). The impression of movement up and towards the altar is created by rows of slender columns and the rise of pointed pointed arches, accelerated by the rhythm of the arcades of the upper gallery (triforium). The picturesqueness of the interior space of the cathedral is set primarily due to the contrast of illumination of the main and semi-dark side naves and colored stained-glass windows.

The facades of the cathedrals are decorated with lancet arches and such compositional and figurative-plastic elements of architectural decoration as patterned vimperg, phial, crabb, etc. Statues on consoles in front of the columns of the portals and in the upper arched gallery, reliefs on the capitals of the columns, plinths and tympanums of the portals form a kind of multi-plot picture, which, as it were, shows various episodes of Holy Scripture, allegorical images, real characters, etc.

On the main squares of cities, town halls begin to be built, which are usually decorated. Castles are converted into palaces (for example, the papal palace in Avignon, 1334-1352). In the XV century. a type of rich city house-mansion arose, the so-called. hotel (for example, the hotel of Jacques Kerr in Bourges, 1453, the hotel of Cluny in Paris, the end of the 14th century, etc.).

At this time, there is an enrichment and complication of the synthesis of arts, which was outlined even in the Romanesque, which reflected the medieval idea of the real and the afterlife. The main type of fine art was sculpture, which received a new plastic interpretation in the Gothic style. The static Romanesque sculpture was replaced by a dynamic Gothic one, where the depicted figures seem to turn to each other and to the viewer.

Mature Gothic is marked by a further increase in the verticalism of lines, a dynamic aspiration upwards. Reims Cathedral - the place of the coronation of French kings - is one of the most integral works of Gothic, a wonderful synthesis of architecture and sculpture.

An important place in Gothic art, including sculpture, begins to occupy the plot. The role of secular plots is increasing, but the Last Judgment remained the most common plot in Gothic. Iconographic plots begin to gradually expand. Interest in a person, in his spiritual and worldly life, found expression in the depiction of scenes from the life of saints. An outstanding example of the depiction of legends about saints is dated to the last quarter of the 13th century. tympanum History of St. Stephen on the portal of Notre Dame Cathedral.

The inclusion of real motifs is also characteristic of many small reliefs. As in Romanesque churches, images of monsters and fantastic creatures - the so-called chimeras - occupy a large place in Gothic cathedrals.

It is believed that the first work of Gothic architecture appeared in the process of rebuilding the abbey church of Saint-Denis in 1137-1144. Early Gothic also includes the cathedrals of Lani, Chartres and Paris. The greatest achievement of the early Gothic - Notre Dame Cathedral (Notre Dame de Paris), founded in 1163, was completed until the middle of the XIV century. Cathedral in Chartres, founded in the XII century. and consecrated in 1260, remains one of the most beautiful in Europe.

The grandiose cathedrals of mature Gothic in Reims (1211-XV century) - the largest cathedral in France (150 m long with a tower height of 80 m) and in Amiens (1220-1269) are distinguished by the perfection of the architectural composition, the richness of the sculptural and pictorial decor. , where the cathedral has a length of 145 m and a height of the main nave of 42.5 m, as well as the Sainte-Chapelle church in Paris (1243-1248), built as a royal palace chapel, with its numerous stained-glass windows. Approximately from the middle of the XIII-XIV centuries. majestic Gothic cathedrals were built in other European countries: in Italy (in Venice, Siena, Milan), Germany (in Marburg, Naumburg, Ulm, Cologne), England (in London, Salisbury), Spain (in Barcelona, Burgos, Lona, Toledo ), Austria (Vienna), Flanders (Brussels), the Czech Republic (Prague) and others, where Gothic received a peculiar local interpretation. As a result of the Crusades, the architects of Rhodes, Cyprus and Syria became acquainted with Gothic building principles.

In the Gothic era, genuine masterpieces of sculpture were created: reliefs and statues of the north portal of the cathedral in Chartres, a deeply human image of Christ blessing on the western facade of the cathedral in Amiens, images of the group Visitation of Mary Elisabeth on the western portal of the cathedral in Reims. These works had a great influence on the development of all Western European sculpture.

The sculpture of cathedrals in Germany (in Bamberg, Magdeburg, Naumburg) is distinguished by expression, life-like concreteness and monumentality of images. The temples were decorated with reliefs, statues, stained-glass windows, floral ornaments, images of fantastic animals. In the decoration of temples, in addition to religious, there were already many secular motifs.

In Gothic painting, the stained-glass window became the main element of the color design of the interior. The stained-glass windows of the Sainte-Chapelle chapel and the cathedral in Chartres stand out in particular. Fresco painting, which, along with canonical scenes, included secular scenes and portraits, adorned the walls of palaces and castles (murals of the papal palace in Avignon). In the Gothic miniature, the desire for a reliable reproduction of nature intensified, the range of illustrated manuscripts expanded, and their subjects were enriched. Under the influence of Dutch and Italian art, easel paintings and portraits appeared.

The French Gothic style manifested itself, in addition to cathedrals, in the creation of comfortable and, at the same time, solemn buildings, palaces of kings and the highest nobility, elegantly decorated urban private houses. For example, in the castles of Amboise (1492-1498), in Gaillon (1501-1510), in the palace of justice in Rouen (1499-mid-XVI century), etc.

In late (flaming) Gothic, especially in France, sculptural altars in interiors became widespread, combining wooden painted and gilded sculpture and tempera painting on wooden boards. The finest examples of French Gothic art include small ivory sculpture, silver reliquaries, Limoges enamel, tapestries and carved furniture. Late Gothic is characterized by abundant decor that hides architectural divisions, the appearance of curved lines, a whimsical, flame-like pattern of window openings (the Church of Saint-Maclou in Rouen, 1434-1470, the completion of construction dragged on until the 1580s). In miniatures, there has been a desire to convey space and volume. The number of secular buildings under construction (city gates, town halls, shop and warehouse buildings, etc.) is increasing.

Gothic style furniture

Early Gothic interiors are still quite modest, and their elements still bear traces of Romanesque. This time is characterized by wooden or tiled floors covered with carpets. The walls are lined with plank panels, decorated with bright wall paintings or carpets. The windows are glazed, but there are no curtains yet. Paintings are rarely used to decorate rooms, instead wall paintings and woodcuts are made, the ceilings are made, as a rule, of wooden, beam construction with rafters open to the outside, however, well decorated. There are also hemmed ceilings lined with smooth boards or dissected with frequent slats and decorated with decorative painting. In countries such as France and England, the center of the interior was a fireplace, very richly decorated. In Germany since the middle of the XV century. tiled stoves begin to play an important role in the interior. All furnishings are heavily proportioned, overstocked, clumsy, and usually lined up along walls. At first, almost every piece of furniture (and not only) of early Gothic is of ecclesiastical origin. Later, with the development of furniture technology, excellent church furniture was created for sacristies, kliros, etc., which greatly influenced the further development of furniture in urban dwellings. This was facilitated by the introduction into the design of furniture objects of the technique of frame-panel knitting of wood and almost all other carpentry techniques for connecting parts, as well as the invention of a two-handed saw, forgotten since antiquity. The saw was reinvented only at the beginning of the 14th century. in Germany, and from that time on, it became possible to get thin and even sawn boards instead of hewn thick, roughly axed boards. Already by the beginning of the XV century. all the techniques known to us for box-shaped knitting of boards were developed.

Gradually, the houses of the medieval aristocracy were increasingly decorated, this is especially noticeable in the interiors of the reception halls and guest rooms, furnished with well-decorated furniture. The residential houses of wealthy citizens follow the example of the nobility, but retain a certain restraint and simplicity of decoration and furnishings. All decoration corresponds to the architectural decoration of stone buildings, especially temple buildings. Only by the 15th century, during the period of flaming Gothic, when Gothic architecture began to be especially actively saturated with sculptural decoration, did Gothic ornament begin to richly decorate the previously established stable furniture forms, in which constructive techniques appeared associated with the building principles of Gothic architecture. In addition to the borrowed architectural forms of window bindings, portals, pointed turrets with phials (spiers), columns, lancet vaults, niches, etc., furniture is also decorated with carved ornaments along the frame and panels, in which four main types can be distinguished. These are an openwork geometric ornament, a floral (leafy) ornament, a ribbon weaving ornament and a so-called ornament. linen folds or napkins. In addition, in the late Gothic style, in addition to carving, furniture is decorated with paintings, gilding and richly decorated metal parts of fittings, locks, hinges, oarlocks, as well as sculptural images of human faces and figures.

The gothic openwork geometric ornament is based on simple geometric shapes: a circle, a triangle, a square, which are easily drawn with a ruler and a compass. The openwork ornament represents the so-called. maswerk (from German maßwerk - literally work according to the applied dimensions) in the form of a complex intersection of parts of a circle and straight lines, resulting in a complex pattern with lancet arches and interweaving, reminiscent of the ribs of Gothic structures.

The famous Gothic shamrock, rosette, quadrifole, drawing of the central window of the cathedral - a large rose were built in a similar way. The late Gothic maswerka ornament was very common throughout Europe and in England. As a rule, the walls of chests, cabinet doors, and chair backs were decorated with such an ornament. Masverk is performed using deep carving techniques, when the background deepens relative to the ornament, due to which the elements of the ornament are finely profiled, their outlines are smoothed and rounded. This is a bit like a relief carving, although the relief here is cut entirely in the plane of the board (panel), without rising above its surface. The floral ornament is made in the form of stylized sharp leaves and curls, gradually acquiring naturalistic forms.

Since the end of the XV century. on panels, a flat ornament is especially common in the form of a piece of parchment or canvas with patterned edges laid in double-sided byte folds. The ornament is made in flat relief. This type of ornament is found in large numbers on furniture objects in France, Germany and England. It was especially widely used on wardrobes and chests made in Cologne and Ghent.

Gothic furniture in the north and west of Europe (in France, the Netherlands, northwestern Germany and England) was made mainly of oak, in the south and east (in Tyrol, Switzerland, Austria, Hungary) pine and spruce wood was used, as well as larch and juniper .

The main type of furniture for storing things, as well as sitting and lying in the houses of the nobility and ordinary townspeople, is the chest, from the forms of which such new types of furniture objects as the armchair-chest, postavets (dressoir), credenza and sideboard were formed over time. In size, Gothic chests are wider and taller than Italian Renaissance cassone chests. As a rule, chests have overhead iron hinges with which the lid was attached. These hinges, as well as large overhead iron locks with openwork ornaments, are elements of chest decoration.

From the 15th century the side walls of the chests are covered with rich carvings in the form of a masverk ornament, floral ornament, stone bindings of Gothic windows and other architectural elements of building decoration. The front wall is also richly decorated, a special place is reserved for the coat of arms of the owner of the chest and a patterned, well-chiselled lock. Sometimes, in addition to architectural motifs, entire sculptural scenes on religious and secular themes are performed. The painter and the gilder also participate in the final finishing of the chest.

In medieval houses, regardless of the status of the owner, it was cold and even damp, so the furniture had to be raised above the floor level. Therefore, some chests not only had a massive and highly profiled plinth, but were also made with legs that were a continuation of the side racks of the frame or flat side walls with a figured cutout at the bottom. In the south of Germany, pine chests with engraving and painting with flowers became widespread. This decor was complemented by a carved ornament on a painted background. The openwork pattern undoubtedly comes from deep carving, but the process of its creation is less laborious. With the advent of thin sawn boards, through ornaments began to be used, superimposed on the main painted board that made up the background. With a much lower labor input, the same impression of decor was created in two planes. This technique was very widespread and lingered for a long time not only in German, but also in Swiss folk art.

Characteristic for the Gothic types of containers were, in addition to chests, supplies (dresseers). The prototype of such a wardrobe is a chest placed on four high legs, which were connected at the bottom by a horizontal frame, the upper part of which was sewn up with a board. Thanks to this, the bottom shelf, near the floor, was obtained. Subsequently, the legs of the cabinet on three sides (from the back and two sides) also began to be tightly sewn up with boards - a kind of niche was obtained. The upper part of the supplier had shelves that were closed with hinged or folding doors.

Such supplies were intended, as a rule, for storing dishes and drinks. The most valuable metal, including silver, and glass utensils were placed in the upper compartment, and polished copper utensils were placed on the lower shelf, located in the basement. The postavets was borrowed from church use, where it was purely altar furniture, and only then penetrated into worldly life. Such containers were called credenza there, sometimes they had the shape of a tall chest with a horizontal upper surface. And only with the passage of time such a chest was raised and placed on high legs. In the earliest French supplies, the upper parts were made in the form of a rectangular box, the plank walls of which were connected by the simplest box knit. The back and two side walls of the box continued to the floor and were connected for rigidity and strength at the bottom by another plane, thanks to which the delivery set stood high above the floor. Two, and sometimes three, front doors, made of solid thick boards, were fastened on openwork iron hinges. The doors themselves were decorated with ornaments made using in-depth carving techniques. A wooden canopy was made on top of the supply to protect against the ash and soot of the still-smoking fireplaces. Dishes were placed under the canopy and on the lower plane.

In the future, with the development of the frame-and-panel construction, the suppliers begin to make a more complex hexagonal shape, in which the desire of the craftsmen to lighten the proportions, develop the vertical shape, including through the upper chiseled decorative elements in the form of phials, or spiers, is clearly visible. In later and richly decorated postavets, its side walls rest on thin twisted columns, which are connected in the upper part by lancet arches. The front three facets-walls of the supplier have the same arches, but without supports, ending with weights hanging in the air. The ribs formed at the intersection of the sides of the walls are decorated with carved pointed Gothic turrets, or phials. The walls of the supplier are made up of several frames with panels. The frames are strongly profiled from the sides and from above, which creates the impression of niches in which panels with religious carvings are deeply placed. In other cases, the panels are filled with either a Gothic floral ornament, or a masverk, or a linen fold pattern, which would be very actively used along with Renaissance ornaments on furniture objects in the 16th century.

In the XV century. large and very bulky cabinets with two or four doors (in the form of bunk cabinets) appear, the panels of which, as a rule, are decorated with a pattern of linen folds.

Seating furniture gradually became more diverse, but was still reluctant to separate from the walls, although some of such furniture is already beginning to be freely placed in the room. For a long time, benches and chests attached to the walls remained the most common furniture for sitting and lying.

The seats of stools and chairs take on a variety of shapes in terms of square, round, rectangular, multifaceted.

A characteristic variety of the Gothic chair is the chest, to which a very high blank back with blank elbows was attached. The seat was usually arranged as a lifting one, and the back was decorated with floral ornaments or masverk and ended with an openwork Gothic crest, phials, French lilies, etc. The front and side panels of a box (chest) of such an armchair were processed, as a rule, with linen folds. Armchairs were usually placed near the bed and therefore they were called bedside chairs. They also served as a home closet. The seat was wooden, hard, the lower box interfered with the legs when sitting, because. they could not be pulled back, and the carved vertical back did not contribute to the comfort of a seated person. These chairs were very common in France, and were of little use in the countries to the north of it.

In addition to armchairs, the most common seating furniture was stools, benches and chairs.

In poor houses, the only type of seating was probably stools, the construction of which consisted of a round or triangular board with three or four cylindrical or rectangular legs. Stools of a more complex shape were also made with a rectangular seat standing on side supports, which were sometimes decorated with Gothic lancet arches. Benches were often made in the form of elongated stools with a rectangular seat for several people, or they resembled ordinary chests, the top cover of which was adapted for sitting. Such benches had a high back and, as a rule, were placed against the wall. There were also benches with a reversible backrest (with a line), which were freely placed indoors or installed by the fireplace. A fairly primitive type of cylindrical chair is also known, which was made on the basis of a conventional barrel, to which several additional backrest parts were attached. Other types of chairs were also used, for example, a swivel chair (the so-called Lutheran), chairs (armchairs) on three or four legs of lathe work, reminiscent of the seating areas of the Romanesque era. The rest of the seating furniture was much more perfect and better adapted for a person. These were stools and chairs made on the basis of old X-shaped stools, chairs and curule chairs. These criss-cross seatings have the oldest pedigree, dating back to ancient Egypt and antiquity.

Such furniture spoke of the power that the owner of the chair or armchair possessed, which was additionally emphasized by a special elevation on which they stood, and in some cases, also by a canopy.

The earliest known X-shaped stools could be folded. The supporting parts were fastened with crossbars, the upper of which were pulled together by brightly decorated straps that formed the seat. In other cases, in order to make a chair, the back support was made higher than the seat and turned into a back support. Additional convenience of such a chair was achieved with the help of felt upholstery, a pillow and a footstool.

Appeared in late Gothic, especially in Italy and Spain, X-shaped chairs and armchairs only imitate a folding shape and, in fact, represent Renaissance furniture, the so-called. curule chairs, in which their side parts rise above the seat and are a kind of armrests, sometimes connected to the back. Such chairs were richly decorated with flat carvings, painted and gilded.

Very few beds have survived from Gothic times, mainly due to the dilapidation of lush draperies. Beds played an important role in expressing the social status of the owner, which can be seen, at least, from the surviving numerous paintings of that era. During this period, state beds in the homes of nobles were considered one of the most expensive and prestigious pieces of furniture and were often intended more for display than for sleeping.

Like chests, beds in Western European countries had to be elevated to protect them from drafts and cold damp floors. Beds in the Gothic era, if they were not built into the wall, had a half canopy, a full canopy, or a large, closet-like, wooden canopy box, decorated with carvings and paintings. There were warm draperies that could be detached and packed into chests during the journey.

The design of the Gothic tables is similar to the tables of the Romanesque period, however, their nomenclature has increased. The most characteristic type of table is a dining rectangular table with a strongly protruding top on two plank rectangular side panels-supports. These shields had flat carvings with a Gothic ornament, and the middle part had openings made in the form of a single or double Gothic temple window with its characteristic shape, including the lattice of the binding. Sometimes deep drawers were made in the underframe boxes. The side shields at the bottom near the floor were pulled together with a special bar or proleg board.

On the basis of this type of table, an early form of a desk was subsequently formed with a massive raised tabletop, under which there were many compartments and small drawers in the underframe box, and below there was a container hidden from prying eyes. Such types of tables, which are typical, for example, for Southern Germany and Switzerland, were used by merchants and money changers until the 16th century.

Traditional ribbon weave or vegetal gothic carvings in oak fill the tops of these tables. An additional decorative effect is achieved through the contrast of this wide, flat waxed carving and the slightly sunken flat background. The side support shields are connected by a horizontal bar, the outer ends of which are usually locked with wedges. There are also tables standing on four obliquely set legs connected by prolegs. Such legs, as a rule, had a flat thread. In late Gothic, sliding tables were also known. Tables with rectangular and round tops began to appear, standing on one central support. The tabletops are beginning to be covered with veneer. Attempts of still primitive inlay are known.

Tables borrowed from Romanesque continued to exist in the form of a simple wooden shield, which was mounted on goats or on two hollow rectangular frames that folded together.

Gothic style in furniture characterized by significant local differences. French furniture was distinguished by the greatest elegance of proportions, decorations, and proportionality of parts, which is characterized by a large number of types of chests, armchairs with drawers and high backs, chairs, benches, supplies, cabinets, etc. True, in Northern France, furniture was strongly influenced by the Dutch furniture and had a very heavy shape, but was still beautifully decorated. This influence was due to the work of many visiting Netherlandish woodcarvers. In other countries, the furniture range was much poorer, and the forms of products were somewhat uniform. Nevertheless, in Spain, the development of furniture art went in line with the French Gothic trend, however, the decor of furniture objects, as well as architecture, was strongly influenced by the Arab-Moorish style - a kind of mixture of geometric motifs, as well as motifs of climbing plants with already intricate lines of openwork ornament of late, flaming, gothic. Spanish furniture is characterized by extremely complex and rich planar surface finishes. Unfortunately, apart from church pews and choir chairs, we do not know of any other Spanish seating furniture from the Middle Ages. Wood carving flourished in medieval Spain, but other types of decoration were also used. For example, chests were covered with colored or embossed leather, rich metal (iron and bronze) fittings, stalactite motifs, and turned bars were used.

In the Gothic style, the furniture art of Germany and the Netherlands was highly developed and also had much in common with the art of France. Artistically and constructively, the furniture was beautifully executed. The material was solid wood. Furniture, as a rule, had a frame structure with thin panels. Beautiful carved plant elements, free openwork and folded ornaments were used as decorations. Typical pieces of furniture are tall double-leaf wardrobes with four, six or even nine panels, as well as sideboards with a canopy ladder and high legs. Carpentry work was carried out very carefully, with great precision. Carvings were distinguished by subtlety and elegance. In Northern Germany, on the Rhine, high-quality gothic furniture was used with tenon corner joints. Large cabinets are similar in design to the Flemish ones. Noteworthy is a tall wardrobe with legs, decorated with a folded ornament, and later with a floral ornament on the panels. Such cabinets in most cases were decorated with decorative forging. Typical bench chests were also made. The South German style would be common in the Alpine countries (Switzerland, South Bavaria, Tyrol, Upper Austria). South German furniture was made mainly of soft and semi-hard wood, had a plank structure and was decorated with flat carvings.

Such furniture was more diverse both in form and decor than northern furniture. The furniture was decorated with openwork ornaments on floral motifs with curls and ribbons using the technique of flat carving, made on a colored base and enriched with animal figures and heraldic shields. The interiors were wood paneled with profiled planks.

Such a technology for decorating living quarters, including furniture, with a shallow flat carved ornament (Flachschnitt) painted, as a rule, in red and green, was called Tyrolean carpentry Gothic (Tiroler Zimmergotik). Beautiful Gothic furniture has been preserved in Tyrolean castles. These are various types of tables, canopy beds decorated with rich carvings, chests, chairs, benches, narrow cabinets for washing accessories built into the wall and other furniture items. Here we see the first attempts at veneering and primitive inlay work.

The southern direction of Gothic also captured Upper Hungary, where beautiful furniture was made. First of all, objects of church furnishings have come down to us: chairs for the kliros, libraries, tables, etc., which have simple shapes, flat openwork carvings, painting and gilding.

The Gothic style had a very superficial influence on Italian architecture and furniture art, which can be explained by differences in living conditions and climate.

In Italy, where the influence of ancient traditions was still extremely strong, the Gothic style was considered barbaric; already in its very name found an expression of disdain for the art of the northern countries, alien in spirit. The Gothic style in Italy brought its own ornamentation, but all the sharp Gothic angles were blunted. The flat carvings of South German furniture influenced the ornamentation of North Italian cabinets. In the XV century. in Venice and Verona, wooden chests were decorated with beautiful openwork carvings with rosettes and Gothic leaf ornaments. Chests from Central Italy (Tuscany and Siena, c. 1400) had figured stucco, which was painted and covered with gilding (stucco).

The Gothic style in England lasted a very long time. It is customary to divide English Gothic into three periods: early Gothic (1189-1307), decorative Gothic (1307-1377) and late, so-called. vertical, rectilinear Gothic (1377-1590). This is precisely the time when the Renaissance was already in full bloom in Italy, and England was still going through the Gothic of the third period, which the British call the perpendicular style, which received this name because of the predominance of vertical rectilinear lines of structural and decorative elements. At that time, it was customary to sew up the walls of the premises with wooden panels of a frame-panel construction. The panels were decorated with carved ornaments. Carvings were also used to decorate the interior wooden ceilings of the premises. In the early period of English Gothic, furniture is heavy, its profiles are simple and rude. The main decorative element is a folded ornament. Later, in the articulation of furniture, the influence of architecture begins to be felt.

English furniture, even late Gothic, is characterized by simplicity of design and a small amount of decoration.

The main furniture universal object continues to be the chest. As throughout Western Europe, the frame of the chest consists of thick bars, between which panels with flat carvings of decorations are inserted. The frame of the chest is also bound with iron strips for strength, and locks are attached above the panels. The prototype of the English cabinet, as elsewhere in Europe, are two chests placed one on top of the other. The front part of such a cabinet is divided by frame bars into six cells-frames into which panels are inserted. Moreover, the central panels are wider, and the side panels are narrow. Narrow side panels are decorated with linen pleats. Frames of wide panels are cabinet doors hung on massive and well-decorated metal hinges.

Late Gothic English furniture is characterized by massive armchairs, the frame of which is connected from thick bars, rectangular in cross section, between which thin paneling boards decorated with flat carvings are inserted into the tongue. The panels of the back are finished with a masverk ornament, and the panels of the armrests and the lower part of the chair are finished with a folded ornament.

The side pillars of the backrest and armrests are additionally decorated with vertical pillars and spiers. In addition to cabinets, low and wide supplies have become widespread in England - coupe board. Tables at this time have, as a rule, a rectangular top and a massive underframe, which is attached to the side panels instead of legs. These shields and underframes are primitively decorated with figuratively sawn edges and shallow carvings of a simple floral pattern. The side support shields of the tables are often fastened with prolegs, wedges are inserted into the outer ends of which.

The beds have a canopy, which is mounted on four posts, which are a kind of continuation of the legs. In the lower part, the legs have a tetrahedral section, and above the bed frame, the posts are carved with floral motifs in the form of polyhedrons, intercepts of various shapes, etc. The headboard of the bed is made high, and its five panels are decorated with low relief carvings.

In general, English Gothic furniture was of uncomplicated construction, the elements of which were never disguised and were used as well as decorative elements. All nodes and joints are clearly visible and understandable. All furniture was made exclusively from oak. At the end of the XV - beginning of the XVI century. in England, a mixed style is formed - a kind of transition from Gothic to the Renaissance, which was called the Tudor style. A classic pattern begins to appear on the Gothic structure.

The through openwork ornament and a special type of arched decorations still belong to the Gothic, however, the early Renaissance invasion is already noticeable in the new profiling of furniture parts, rosettes and other motifs. In most cases, this applies to Dutch-influenced furniture, such as cupboards. On the panels of a wide variety of furniture objects, the coats of arms of the owners begin to appear.

The influence of the new Italian Renaissance art begins to penetrate into Central Europe around 1500, primarily in France, where Italian artists worked at the royal court. French furniture of the late 15th - early 16th century. acquires a new, completely original character.

The decor of this time in the form of a grotesque ornament, for example, is combined here with Gothic decorations. Overhead openwork iron hinges and locks are still in use. One part of the supply panels, for example, is decorated with linen folds, and the other - with a grotesque. The front supports are made in the form of bars, but the wooden back wall continues to sink to the bottom. The postavets continues to be hexagonal, but its front wall is made wider than the side ones. However, in Germany, for example, deliveries usually differed from French ones by a simpler rectangular hull shape and the absence of a solid rear wall. In their decoration, profile images of human faces in a grotesque ornament are sometimes replaced by sculpted male and female heads strongly pushed forward. It was a transitional time, when constructive and compositional clarity and certainty began to be felt in the morphology of furniture objects, and all articulations and profiles were specially emphasized and manifested in external form.

Gothic style- an important stage in the history of the development of furniture styles. Many new types of furniture were created and the forgotten antique furniture technique was resurrected to a new life. Carpentry, with its lively original form of expression in ornamentation, was on the rise. In the Gothic interior, furniture is still not completely mobile: many of its types still gravitate towards the walls or are built into building envelopes, have a close relationship with architecture in terms of borrowing its forms, the nature of their divisions and decorative finishes. Already in the late Gothic period, carpentry was highly developed, which served as the basis for performing even more complex tasks in the Renaissance.

Used study materials. benefits: Grashin A.A. A short course in the style evolution of furniture - Moscow: Architecture-S, 2007