The Gothic Cathedral - CED00200C

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Module will run

Occurrence	Teaching period
A	Autumn Term 2023-24

Module aims

This module considers the Gothic cathedrals of Western Europe as both an architectural monument and as a site of social and religious community. In addition to examining how and why these great soaring structures were constructed, it addresses the artistic culture of cathedral building, from the building plan, to masons' tools to life in the clergy. It will be pan-European in focus, beginning in France, but will also utilise local resources when available.
Through seminar discussion and independent reading as well as written formative and summative assessments, students will develop key transferable skills such as analytical reasoning and argument development, oral communication abilities, and research techniques.
 

Module learning outcomes

Upon successful completion of the module, students will be able to:

• Gain an in-depth understanding of the formation of Gothic architecture, tracing its development through France and into Western Europe
• Discuss major works of architecture related to cathedral building
• Be familiar with key debates surrounding the ‘invention’ of Gothic
• Understand the multi-functional role of the cathedral as part of the medieval city
• Consider the contribution of Gothic architecture to later architectural movements
• Debate the merits and current controversies of conservation/ historical preservation of cathedrals 
• Demonstrate university-level reading and writing skills (including vocabulary for persuasive arguments, crafting a cogent thesis statement and engaging in research)
• Locate and use appropriate reference materials, including primary source material
• Generate critical questions for debate based on readings
• Develop interpersonal skills through seminar tasks and group discussion 
   

Indicative assessment

Task	% of module mark
Essay/coursework	100

Special assessment rules

None

Indicative reassessment

Task	% of module mark
Essay/coursework	100

Module feedback

The tutor will give regular individual verbal and written feedback throughout the module on work submitted. The assessment feedback is as per the university’s guidelines with regard to timings.
 

Indicative reading

• Paul Binski. Gothic Wonder: Art, Artifice, and the Decorated Style, 1290–1350 (New Haven: Yale University Press, 2014).
• Sarah Brown. 'Our magnificent fabrick': York Minster: an architectural history c1220-1500. Swindon: English Heritage, 2003.
• Michael Camille, Gothic Art: Glorious Visions (Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1996).
• Nicola Coldstream, Medieval Architecture (Oxford and New York: Oxford University Press, 2002).
• Jackie Jung, The Gothic Screen: Space, Sculpture and Community in the Cathedrals of France and Germany. Yale, 2012.
• Macaulay, David. Cathedral: The Story of Its Construction (Boston: Houghton-MacMillan, 1973).
• Scott, Robert A. The Gothic Enterprise: A Guide to Understanding the Medieval Cathedral. Berkeley: University of California Press, 2003.
• Wilson, Christopher, The Gothic Cathedral: The Architecture of the Great Church, 1130-1530, with 220 Illustrations (London: Thames and Hudson, 2004).