Soaring spires, glittering stained-glass windows, and sculpted figures that seem to breathe with life—these are the hallmarks of Gothic art, a style that transformed cathedrals, churches, and civic spaces across medieval Europe.
Beginning in the mid-12th century, particularly in France, the thick stone walls and small windows of Romanesque buildings gave way to soaring walls of unprecedented height, supported by innovations such as pointed arches and flying buttresses. Enormous stained-glass windows filled interiors with luminous scenes that instructed, adorned, and transformed sacred spaces, casting patterns of colored light. Gothic style extended its expressive reach from architecture to sculpture and painting, where figures assumed lifelike presence and conveyed human emotion with remarkable naturalism.
Janetta Rebold Benton, the distinguished professor of art history at Pace University, New York, and author of Art of the Middle Ages, explores this extraordinary period. Through architecture, sculpture, painting, and the decorative arts, Benton reveals the unrivaled richness and refinement of the Gothic era.
April 11
1–2 p.m. The Birth of Gothic
Explore the origins of Gothic architecture at the royal abbey of Saint-Denis under the energetic (and egocentric) Abbot Suger. Discover how his vision for height and light transformed sacred space and set the stage for a new architectural era at Laon Cathedral and Notre-Dame-de-Paris.
2:15–3:30 p.m. First Masterpieces and Soaring Ambitions
Marvel at Chartres Cathedral, the first Gothic masterpiece, celebrated for its splendid structure and sparkling stained glass. Then follow the daring reach for the sky in the ambitious designs of the cathedrals of Reims and Bourges.
April 18
1–2 p.m. The Climax of Gothic Architecture
Witness the soaring sophistication of Gothic architecture in the cathedrals of Amiens and Beauvais. Explore the exquisite refinement of Sainte-Chapelle in Paris, the radiant “glass cage” in Toyes, and the flamboyant fantasies of Saint-Maclou in Rouen.
2:15–3:30 p.m. Gothic Across Europe
Follow the spread of Gothic ideas from France to England, Germany, Italy, and beyond, where the style reshaped churches, civic buildings, and artistic expression. Discover how Gothic became the defining artistic language of Western Europe for several centuries.
2 sessions
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