The parabolic arch beauty: ways of perceiving the gothic cathedral

Abstract

This paper presents the ways of imaging the Gothic cathedral in contemporary visual arts and new media. Guidelines and standards suggest how to narrate about medieval architecture and some researchers, such as O. Simson, Z. Sinko, M. Janion, M. Czermińska,, have even developed models for characters the Gothic cathedral. However, it remains to be determined how the artists perceive and depict such structures in visual art and literature. Using iconographic exegesis the author compared stereotypes and images. Results show that the art theorists passed on a certain pattern, they learned from each other ways of looking, describing, metaphorizing this difficult to grasp and interesting phenomenon, such as Gothic cathedral. Moreover she pointed out the correlations between the art tradition, theology and literature. She presented how the perception of the gothic cathedral changed from the Christian temple, an illustration of a horror novel to the popular element of mass culture.