Architecture has always been used to define cultures, but how can a building describe a culture? Architecture is a link to the feelings and imaginations of past civilizations. The shape of a building and the design, inside and out, can tell a lot about the time and the people who lived in it just by looking at the building. Two kinds of architecture used in the Medieval Times, Romanesque and Gothic, are very accurate and effective ways of showing what people believed in at the time they were made. The design and components in ancient architecture can be used to tell truths about the past and that is how the modern world is able to “read” a building.
The Romanesque architecture of churches in the 11th century was built more like fortresses than churches. These cathedrals had very thick walls and images of Judgment Day. The architecture shows in these cathedrals gives lots of clues about the ideas of the populations in the 11th century during the Romanesque period. One idea that can be drawn from this is that there was little hope for the people in this time because of the dark cathedrals and images of Judgment Day. The people looked more on the dark side of life because of the hopeless images and the impending death of everyone on Judgment Day. Another idea that can come from looking at the cathedrals is that the cathedrals were used for other purposes. The thick walls and almost no windows show that the cathedral was also used as a safe house of sorts if attacked by opposing armies (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Romanesque_architecture). The cathedrals during the Romanesque period in France can tell a lot not only about what they buildings were used for but also the imagination and outlook of the people during that time.
In the 12th century during the Gothic period, it seems like the entire population changed their outlook on life. In the Gothic architecture, the images of Judgment Day and thick walls were replaced by stained glass windows, flying buttresses, and very thin walls. The stained glass windows shows that the state of mind of the people changed from ominous to hopeful and that the people were letting the light into their lives and rejoicing. The flying buttresses are unique to the Gothic cathedrals. They were used to make the walls even thinner to allow more stained glass windows (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flying_buttress). The Gothic architecture also had very high arches and ceilings in the cathedrals. This has also been interpreted to the idea that the people had high hopes and high spirits (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gothic_architecture). The Gothic architecture is almost the complete opposite of Romanesque the architecture in both these times can show a lot about the people who lived during them. Another example of how a building can be read is to look at the pyramids of Egypt. The Egyptians had cities made specifically for the dead and they built massive tombs for the pharaohs and their family, commonly the pyramids (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pyramids). These massive structures can tell us a lot about the people living in that time. The most important idea to take away is that the people living in ancient Egypt had a large focus on death. All of their art and most of the time the people spent was focused on death (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ancient_Egypt). Being able to read the pyramids of Egypt has given the modern world a good idea about how the people thought in that time and it has led to a better understanding of the entire Egyptian culture just by “reading” the building made in that time.
The two time periods that are almost right next to each other have so many differences between each other. The ideas that were portrayed in each kind of art is unique to the ideas of the people and can tell the modern a lot about the ideas of the people and how much the times have changed since then. Looking at buildings, or reading them, has led to many new discoveries about civilizations and he foremost ideas that were prominent in people’s lives can be found just by looking at a buildings because there is always a message to be found in them.
Works Cited
"Ancient Egypt." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 16 Apr. 2010. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ancient_Egypt.
"Flying Buttress." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 16 Apr. 2010. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flying_buttress.
"France, 1000–1400 A.D.
Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History
The Metropolitan Museum of Art." The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York: Metmuseum.org. Web. 16 Apr. 2010. http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/ht/?period=07®ion=euwf#/Key-Events.
"Gothic Architecture." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 16 Apr. 2010. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gothic_architecture.
"Pyramid." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 16 Apr. 2010. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pyramids.
"Romanesque Architecture." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 16 Apr. 2010. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Romanesque_architecture.
All of your reference are to encyclopedia articles; your essay lacks any reference to a primary source. I would say that the lack of primary sources leaves the voices of the people who actually lived in the time period you are discussing out of the picture and it detracts from your thesis.
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