Gothic Europe offers much to the student of art, as the architecture, sculptures and statues of this period are quite unique to their time. I had no prior idea about the Gothic artistic period, either because of the books I had previously read on the subject or the architectural documentaries my parents had borrowed from the library. (Being homeschooled has its definite advantages.) I learned that Gothic art was another “transitional” period in the broad spectrum of art history. Many people think of the era of Gothic art as an era of Christian art with what was (then) a modern development. People were coming out of the Dark Ages and the authorities thought that Gothic art was not an improvement (compared to the art of the previous era). It is interesting to note that the "father of art history", Giorgio Vasari (1511-1574) used the term Gothic to look down on the art of that period, because the Goths were barbaric, angry and rowdy. He called the art of this era Gothic because he thought there was a decline in the quality of art. It made perfect sense that he called this art Gothic, because the Goths destroyed both Rome and the classical art period. (Gardner, 461)Key aspects of Gothic architecture include impressive, massive long naves and beautiful, gigantic stained glass windows. Barrel vaults on the ceiling were also very common and many architects were very interested in the intricate decoration of intertwined designs on the ceilings of cathedrals and churches. Perhaps this was to improve the acoustics during services, just as Orchestra Hall (in Minneapolis) has cubes on the ceiling and behind the orchestra to carry and bounce music throughout the building. The exterior of m...... middle of paper......as it was thought to be a period of decline in art. However, Gothic art was a transitional period between medieval, Byzantine and Romanesque. Just like when a butterfly in its chrysalis is not always considered beautiful, so was this era. In the end, the butterfly always emerged from its chrysalis and flourished. Gothic art had something in common with the butterfly; it had its time of change, then it prospered. People explored new techniques and created new forms, styles and methods. Just because a form is in a phase of change doesn't mean people should ignore it completely. Works Cited Kleiner, Fred. Gardner's Art Through the Ages Wadsworth: Cengage Learning, 2009Works CitedKleiner, Fred. Gardner's Art Through the Ages Wadsworth: Cengage Learning, 2009