CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
GOTHIC ART OF THE TWELFTH AND
THIRTEENTH CENTURIES
17
Multiple Choice
1. In the Gothic period, which city did Thomas Aquinas make the intellectual center of Europe?
A. Rome
B. Milan
C. Paris
D. London
2. After reading religious texts by the Pseudo-Dionysius, what did Abbot Suger adopt for the
redesign of the Abbey Church at Saint-Denis?
A. the concept of luminosity
B. a structure that “could reach the gates of heaven”
C. the accommodations for more pilgrims
D. the validity of royal power
3. Holes cut in the stone wall and filled with stained glass are called
A. mosaic inlay.
B. concept glass.
C. plate tracery.
D. track tracery.
4. Which thirteenth-century cathedral is an excellent example of the English interpretation of the
Gothic style?
A. Reims
B. Chartres
C. Amiens
D. Salisbury
5. The oldest functioning synagogue in Europe is
A. Altneuschul.
B. Bien Shalom.
C. Ashweitz.
D. Contrite.
6. Chartres received revenue not only from pilgrims but also from
A. royal processions.
B. mystery plays.
C. cloth markets.
D. jousting competitions.
7. The Royal Portal at the Church of Notre Dame at Chartres gets its name from
A. its function as the ceremonial entrance for church officials.
B. its function as the king’s private entrance.
C. the column statues depicting members of the French royal family.
D. the column statues depicting biblical kings, queens, and prophets.
8. What might have been the reason behind public resentment and rioting over the building of
Gothic cathedrals?
A. burden of new taxes and economic strain
B. concern over unsafe working conditions for masons
C. corruption among church officials managing building funds
D. public displeasure with the Church’s close ties to the monarchy
9. What characterized the narratives on the windows along the aisles and chapels at Chartres
Cathedral?
A. boldly colored, iconic figures easily seen from a distance
B. complex learned allegories on sin and salvation
C. simplified stories intended for an illiterate audience
D. stocky, folksy figures
10. What was developed at Reims Cathedral that made it possible for even larger areas of stained
glass in relation to wall surfaces?
A. plate tracery
B. flying buttresses
C. bar tracery
D. a central division of the clerestory
11. How does the equestrian scene from Holofernes’s Army Crossing the Euphrates River in the
Sainte-Chapelle (Fig. 17-20) demonstrate pictorial innovation in the stained-glass medium?
A. the overlapping figures to create a colorful pattern
B. the use of bar tracery
C. the dilution of the paint to create modeling washes
D. the use of foreshortening to create illusionistic space
12. The historical manuscripts compiled by Matthew Paris at the monastery of St. Albans in
England include
A. marginal drawings that were integral to his writing.
B. references to additional sources of information.
C. decorative motifs that reflect Hiberno-Saxon influences.
D. detailed vignettes illustrating specific places and events.
13. The ambiguity and contradiction of earlier British manuscripts continued in the
A. Villard’s drawings with geometric figures.
B. Shrine of the Three Kings.
C. Windmill Psalter.
D. Historia Anglorum.
14. What architectural feature distinguishes English Gothic cathedrals from those built in
France?
A. A tower at the crossing served as the focal point.
B. Lancet windows were placed over the monumental portals.
C. Pointed arches along the nave arcade directed viewers’ attention upward toward the vaults.
D. The preference for massive walls eliminated the need for flying buttresses.
15. What quality of painted crucifixes, such as the one attributed to Coppo di Marcovaldo (Fig.
17-38), would make them especially popular in churches of the Italian mendicants?
A. the painting style in the “Greek manner”
B. the empathetic response they encouraged in viewers
C. their iconic format and compositions
D. the stylized representation of Christ’s body
16. The period from 1150 CE to 1400 CE is known as the
A. “Age of Decorated Style.”
B. “Age of Rose Windows.”
C. “Age of Monasteries.”
D. “Age of Cathedrals.”
17. The first monastic order of mendicants was the
A. Benedictines.
B. Samaritans.
C. Cistercians.
D. Franciscans.
18. In stained glass, pieces of glass are joined together with narrow lead strips called
A. grozing.
B. jambs.
C. cames.
D. bar tracery.
19. The German preference for realism in the thirteenth century may have contributed to the
earliest surviving depiction of St. Maurice as a
A. Roman soldier.
B. peasant.
C. pilgrim.
D. black African.
20. Which settings were a typical feature of Gothic narrative painting that depicted events from
the past?
A. ancient
B. contemporary
C. landscape
D. otherworldly
21. What was added to the tops of towers in order to provide stone shields for more effective
defense?
A. crenellations
B. crossing
C. transept
D. jambs
22. Which style of art from Constantinople influenced thirteenth- and fourteenth-century Italian
painting?
A. Pisan
B. Mozarabic
C. maniera greca
D. Gothic
23. Who fostered a Classical revival at his southern Italian court?
A. Frederick II
B. Henry Plantagenet
C. Louis VII
D. Philip Augustus
24. Which may have been influenced by Roman sarcophagi, in terms of format and technique?
A. The Miracle of the Crib at Greccio (Fig. 17-40)
B. Ekkehard and Uta (Fig. 17-34)
C. Annunciation, Nativity, and Adoration of the Shepherds (Fig. 17-36)
D. Sheets of Drawings with Geometric Figures (Fig. 17-17)
25. In contrast to Romanesque sculptures, the prophets and ancestors on Chartres’s Royal Portal
emanate
A. Byzantine qualities.
B. faceted folds of drapery.
C. erratic, puppet-like movements.
D. tranquility and order.
Short Answer
1. Where and why was the term “Gothic” first used?
2. What improvements did Abbot Suger make to the Abbey Church of Saint-Denis?
3. What scenes are depicted in the decoration of Chartres Cathedral?
4. How are stained glass windows made?
5. What relics of Christ are contained in the Sainte-Chapelle?
6. Why does the Moralized Bible define the Court style?
7. How did Stokesay Castle exemplify a fortified manor house?
8. What characterized the German hall church?
9. What Gothic architectural features can be seen in The Miracle of the Crib at Greccio (Fig. 17-
40) at the Church of St. Francis at Assisi?
10. What was the purpose of Gothic mural painting?
Essay
1. Discuss the development of the Gothic style in architecture from its origins in France to
regional variations in England and Germany.
2. Compare and contrast the styles, compositions, and iconography associated with the figures of
Annunciation, Nativity, and Adoration of the Shepherds from Pisa (Fig. 17-36) and Royal Portal,
West Façade, from the Cathedral of Notre-Dame at Chartres (Fig. 17-6).
3. Compare the role of painting in stained glass and illuminated manuscripts to express both
religious and secular ideas of the Gothic period.
4. Discuss the role of masons during the Gothic period and describe the detail of Masons at Work
(Fig. 17-7).
5. How did the artists and architects of Chartres create a harmonious elevation?