Gothic

(Basic Art series). Dating back to mid-12th century France and dominating European art for nearly four centuries as transition from the Middle Ages to the Renaissance, the dark and emotional Gothic opened a new chapter in the history of art. While rooted entirely in the realms of the hereafter, the artists of the Gothic era looked to the present for their inspiration and thereby arrived at a new realism. Their discovery of a new, material world also led them to a more joyful vision of reality which placed greater emphasis upon feeling. With the development of court society and the rise of civic culture, the Gothic style blossomed. A chronological survey presents several artists & works. Color illus.