The Englishness of English art
The 19 Century The Victorian Era of the British Empire and the New Rivals.
Queen Victoria, with her 63 years on the throne, is up until now the longest reigning British monarch. In 1877 she was also proclaimed as Empress of India. Her reign from 1837 to 1901 is named the Victorian Era or Victorian Period. This period coincides with the peak years of the British Empire.
Throughout the Middle Ages, England was a medium-sized, moderately wealthy country. When the New World was discovered, Britain used its naval advantage to establish colonies and assist trading companies wherever they sought foothold.They became the number one world power. Whole groups of citizens were exported to populate foreign parts of the world. North America, Australia, South Africa and Ireland are examples of settler colonies. In addition, trader colonies such as India, Nigeria and Jamaica were established. One trading company of great importance to the Empire was the East India Company. It was founded in 1599 and secured India as a colony, actually governing there until 1858. During the industrialisation of Britain, the trading colonies developed into providers of cheap raw materials for her industries.
The Empire peaked around 1900. Britain ruled about a quarter of the world, in both land and population. It was the biggest empire the world had ever seen, and it was said that the sun never set on the British Empire.
Victoria – Empress of IndiaBritain was the cradle of the Industrial Revolution which started in the late 1700s. Queen Victoria reigned during a time when industrialisation made the country the richest in the world. Britain had an advantage since they were first off the mark. Countries like the USA and Germany, however, soon caught up.
Victoria’s reign can be seen as the Golden Age of Empire although there were conflicts in many of the colonies. The new industries at home demanded huge amounts of raw material much of which was taken from Britain's colonies around the world, without the local people seeing much of the riches that accumulated at the centre of the Empire.
The Development of Romanesque and Gothic styles in English Architecture.
Romanesque Architecture emerged during the Medieval era and is strongly identified with the Normans and Norman castles. The History of Romanesque Architecture is strongly influenced by the religious fervour of the Medieval era which resulted in the construction of many Romanesque churches in England. Many medieval knights had travelled to the Holy Land on Crusades. They had seen the magnificent solid fortresses of the Byzantine Empire en route and these massive buildings influenced and revolutionised castle and church building ideas, engineering and Romanesque architecture. This was a time of social and cultural change. Highly influenced by Christianity and religious fervour. The victorious Normans used the castles as a power base and built numerous churches.
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What materials were readily available to create the buildings styled in the fashion of Romanesque architecture? Old Roman bricks were re-cycled and various stone which was available locally were used in the buildings. Most of the remaining Roman villas and temples were totally destroyed. There was plenty of labor to build the structures. The heavy stones required to build the Romanesque castles and churches were transported by the conquered English. The feudal system of the Medieval era ensured that labour to build massive structures of Romanesque architecture could be easily deployed.
Gothic architecture in Britain has been neatly divided into 4 periods, or styles. The person who did the dividing was Thomas Rickman (1776-1841) he labeled the styles Norman Gothic 1066-1200, Early English Gothic 1200-1275, Decorated Gothic 1275-1375, Perpendicular Gothic 1375 - 1530+. It was not until the 16th century that art critic Giorgio Vassari derisively compared medieval architecture to the barbarism (and presumed lack of taste) of the Goths who had ravaged Rome. It was only then that the term "Gothic" came into vogue. Generally speaking, Gothic architecture emphasized strong vertical lines, high vaulted ceilings, minimal wall space, pointed window and door openings, and buttressed walls.
The Norman Gothic period (1066-1200) wasn't a whole lot different from Gothic elsewhere in Europe. The British temperament had yet to stamp its own mark on the new "French style". The buildings of this time are transitional - many still have the thick piers and rounded window openings of the earlier Romanesque style. Vaulting and decoration are simple; there is little sign of the elaborate stonework to come. Some good examples of the Norman Gothic period are: Durham Cathedral, Wells Cathedral, and Ely Cathedral (west tower 1150-75).
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It is in the Early English period (1200-1275) that the Gothic style became truly adapted by English craftsmen/architects. This period is also called "Lancet", referring to the pointed lancet windows (narrow, untraceried) that characterize it. Form is still austere and proportion is magnificently simple. The main points of Early English are: quadripartite ribbing in vaults, slender towers topped with spires, lancet windows - both single and grouped - and piers with narrow, clustered shafts. The finest example of Early English is to be found at Salisbury Cathedral.
Decorated Gothic (1275-1375) - aka Geometric, Curvilinear, and Flamboyant - These terms describe primarily the fanciful tracery and ornamentation found in the window heads during this time. Windows were wider than the earlier lancet openings . This widening and the lessening in wall area that naturally accompanied it was made possible by the invention of the flying buttress. Stone decoration was rich and varied, and window glass more colorful. Stone carvings and paintings abound. The best example of the Decorated period you can visit today is at Exeter Cathedral.
The final flourishing of Gothic in Britain was the Perpendicular period (1375-1530+). The name suggests its chief characteristic - strong vertical lines in window tracery and wall paneling. Vaults were elaborate fan shapes, and the flying buttress became a flowing, decorative feature . Towers in particular were elaborately decorated and pinnacled, and windows became massive, traceried spider-webs of stone like lace. Wall space was at a minimum, which had the effect of introducing a wonderful feeling of light and spaciousness into the interior of these buildings. Some of the many excellent Perpendicular Gothic buildings to see today include King's College Chapel, Cambridge, (1446-1515), Henry VII's chapel at Westminster Abbey (1503-19), and Bath Abbey (1501-39). The naves of Canterbury Cathedral and Winchester Cathedral were also rebuilt in the Perpendicular style during this time.
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