Chapter 3 of 10All chapters
Chapter 3 of 10
Medieval
Light as theology.
Romanesque to Gothic
Round arches and heavy walls gave way to pointed arches, ribbed vaults and flying buttresses, which carried loads outward and allowed walls of glass.
- Cathedrals took generations and involved whole city economies.
- Islamic architecture developed geometry, tilework and the muqarnas vault.
Images and meaning
Most viewers could not read, so sculpture, glass and painting carried doctrine directly. Gold grounds signalled the sacred rather than a real setting.