Gothic Revival

After the medieval period, the Gothic style faded in popularity replaced by classical styles in 16th and 17th centuries. In 18th-century England, however, a group of thinkers began to appreciate the Middle Ages again. Their enthusiasm led to a full-scale Gothic Revival in art, architecture, literature, philosophy etc., The Gothic Revival emerged as a powerful contrast to the Neoclassical architectural style, which was associated with the Enlightenment's emphasis on reason and order. The Gothic style was particularly appealing for its ability to evoke a sense of history, tradition, and spiritual depth, providing an emotional and nostalgic connection to the medieval era. 

This revival spread throughout the world, and its results continue to shape our cultural landscape.

While medieval Gothic was a genuine period of architectural innovation, Gothic Revival was a conscious attempt to recreate the style. The rediscovery of medieval culture also coincided with a period of intense European nationalism in the 19th century. The Medieval gothic style shows how societal needs invoke architectural styles while Gothic revival shows how architecture leaves a mark on society.

Championed by figures like Horace Walpole and A.W.N. Pugin, it incorporated the typical architectural features like pointed arches, ribbed vaults, and decorative stonework to create a romantic and spiritual connection to the past. The movement began with antiquarians and writers, notably Horace Walpole, who built the Gothic-style Strawberry Hill House (1749-1776) as an early example. The 18th century examples were often domestic, with highly decorative interiors, seen at Strawberry Hill, making the style fashionable. 

In 1817, the architect Thomas Rickman is one of the first to label the different styles of medieval architecture. He produces a chronology, entitled; ’An Attempt to Discriminate the Styles of Architecture in England from the Norman Conquest to the Reformation’. In his account he divides the period into four parts; Norman style (1066-c.1190); Early English style (c.1190-c.1300): Decorated English (c.1300-c.1390): Perpendicular English (c.1390-c.1540). These definitions were soon adopted and became the basic conceptual categories of the Gothic Revival for the rest of the 19th century.

But the key protagonist for the Gothic Revival by much of Victorian England was the architect, Augustus Welby Northmore Pugin (1812-1852). After helping his father to survey and record medieval buildings he became convinced that Gothic architecture was not only superior aesthetically, but also morally to Classical architecture. In his book, written in 1836, ‘Contrasts: A parallel between the Noble Edifices of the Middle Ages and corresponding buildings of the present Day’, Pugin wrote that Gothic architecture is uniquely Christian, and embodies all of the beliefs of the society that produced it: all of the beliefs that were lacking in 19th century society.

In France, the nation that launched Gothic architecture in the 12th century, the Gothic Revival took a different turn. However, the French generally focused on caring for their existing medieval patrimony rather than expanding it. Many French Gothic churches had remained in use up until this point, but most had either endured heavy modification or fallen into disrepair.

Eugène-Emmanuel Violet-le-Duc(1814-1879) devoted his life to studying and restoring Romanesque and Gothic buildings in France. He worked on almost every major Gothic church in the country, including Notre-Dame de Paris, Saint-Denis, and Sainte-Chapelle.

Some of the most prominent artists and architects associated with the Gothic Revival style also include Sir Charles Barry, Sir Gilbert Scott, William Butterfield, Antoni Gaudi, and Alfred Waterhouse.

Sir Charles Barry collaborated with Pugin to create the iconic Gothic revival masterpiece, the Palace of Westminster, Bridgewater house, Trentham hall etc., Sir Gilbert Scott who is best known for his Gothic revival churches felt that the Midland Grand hotel at St. Pancras was his most successful project. His other projects include Albert Memorial, University of Glasgow, and our very own Convocation hall in Bombay.

William butterfield’s architectural style was his bold use of polychrome brickwork and stone and the extensive use of marquetry work in the interior of the buildings. His prolific works include All Saints, Margaret street in London and Keble college, Oxford.

Art in the Gothic revival period also had a renewed interest in late medieval styles. It’s no wonder that people like Arts and Crafts proponent William Morris saw medieval handicraft traditions as the perfect antidote to the Industrial Revolution’s impersonal mass-production. He supported Gothic revival through this movement which emphasized on medieval ideals of craftsmanship and nature inspired design. 

Cultural context aside, Gothic Revival is best known, and most visible today, as an architectural style. Its buildings take on many different appearances, from essentially modern constructions with sporadic Gothic elements to elaborate structures borrowing closely from surviving medieval buildings. Some remain faithful to their Gothic predecessors, while others marry Gothic with local or modern aesthetics, materials, and motifs to create something new from an old architectural vocabulary. 

However, most Gothic Revival buildings include at least a few of the most recognizable Gothic elements. These include pointed or ogee arches, tracery, rose windows, rib or fan vaults (often with extra ribs for decoration), pinnacles, crockets, gargoyles, or grotesques, and other carved decorations. 

Gothic Revival spread quickly beyond its European origins, arriving in countries with no Gothic tradition of their own. It particularly flourished in places with cultural or colonial ties to the British Empire. One can find examples on practically every continent today.