Comparison of Autun Cathedral and Chartres Cathedral
Your essay is due in this discussion topic AND at Turnitin.com by Saturday May 29th at 11:59 PST!
No late papers will be accepted!!!!
Your essay MUST follow these guidelines:
* Be spell-checked and grammar-checked and proofread for errors not caught by computer.
* Include a heading containing your full name, ID number, class title & section, date, and instructor's name.
* Be typed and double-spaced, 12-point, Times New Roman font.
*Be submitted to Turnitin.com as well as posted here.
* Cite references used according to MLA style. Students are encouraged to use A Writer's Reference by Diana Hacker for help with MLA style, revision, punctuation and sentence style and A Short Guide to Writing About Art by Sylvan Barnett for specific help with comparing and contrasting artwork. (For more information about MLA style please contact the Writing Lab or reference the following internet site: http://www(dot)bedfordstmartins(dot)com/online/cite5.html
* Be written in the student's own words; absolutely no plagiarism will be allowed. The originality of your prose will be verified by turnitin.com.
* Meet the criteria above to be accepted for grading. Work that does not meet the criteria will be immediately returned to the student. Students are encouraged to visit the Writing Lab or Online Writing Lab (OWL) for help.
ORGANIZATION Structure your essay so that it covers the following elements:
* Introduction including a thesis statement. This is the main point of your essay and tells your reader what you are going to cover in the essay.
* Historical/cultural context of both artworks (geography, politics, society, religion, etc.) NOTE: I am concerned about the time and place the work was made or the building was built. If it had other things happen to it over the years after the initial construction or completion, this is not the essay to cover that information. This goes for function as well.
* Stylistic characteristics of both artworks. When discussing culture and style your essay should address how the cultural context informs the stylistic characteristics of that period. You should also incorporate art historical vocabulary from the modules when discussing stylistic characteristics.
* Subject matter of both artworks. (message, story and narrative, what's going on in the artwork?)
* Function and possible meaning (symbolism and iconography) of both artworks
* Similarities, differences between the two. What makes this a good comparison? What do their similarities and differences tell us about their respective cultures, and the role of the artist and of art?
* Conclusion should recap thesis, include important conclusions or insights about the artwork and the artist or culture who produced it and discuss why you chose to write about the artwork.
* Documentation of sources bibliography, footnotes, end notes, etc.
SOURCES Outside research information should be drawn from LA120 Module Text and at least ONE additional source:
* Professional web site (for example, a museum, research institute or university, NOT just Wikipedia!)
* Nonfiction book published within the last 50 years
* Professional art historical publication (magazine or journal, can be online)
Plagiarism Alert: All written work must be the ORIGINAL WORK of the student. Any quotations, paraphrases, or direct appropriation of ideas from source material must be properly cited according to university, departmental, and/or instructor policy. Any student who plagiarizes will receive a grade of "F-" or zero points for that assignment, with no opportunity to do the assignment again. All plagiarism offenses will be reported to the Department Director and to the Education Office. Plagiarism is a violation of the Academy's Academic Honesty Policy and may be grounds for suspension or dismissal from the Academy. This policy constitutes an official warning to each student.
Below you will find a copy of the rubric I will use to evaluate (grade) your term paper. Reviewing it will help you understand what the paper should cover and how it will be graded.
* * *
Grading rubric
35% Critical Thinking
-Gathers and assesses relevant information to support thesis.
-Ideas are developed and organized.
-Comes to well-reasoned, original conclusions.
25% Stylistic Characteristics
-Identifies name of artwork, period & artist
-Discusses key stylistic characteristics.
-Incorporates AH vocabulary.
25% Cultural Context
-Discusses key cultural issues associated with artist and period.
-Makes connections between cultural context and style.
-Demonstrates how images represent cultural context.
10% Research and documentation
-Draws from 3 or more sources
-Effectively incorporates research into essay.
-properly documents according to MLA guidelines.
5% Writing mechanics
-Competent use of grammar, spelling and punctuation.
- Essay contains no mechanical errors.
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Comparison of Autun Cathedral and Chartres Cathedral
Introduction
Most of the religious buildings constructed in the ancient period were either Romanesque or Gothic structures. The Romanesque architectural style is believed to have existed way before the inception of the Gothic architectural style. However, as much as the two construction styles have some form of differences, such as the size of windows and the thickness of the roofing walls, they still have some common traits that they share. Some of the common characteristics of the gothic and Romanesque structures include buttresses in both of them and the longitudinal curved walls, which are shared with most ancient Roman Catholic religious houses. This paper compares and contrasts Autun Cathedral, a Romanesque structure, the Gothic Chartres Cathedral structure, pointing out some of the notable traits in each and the similarities.
Historical Background
Construction of the St Lazare Cathedral in Autun was inspired by the initial St. Nazaire cathedral, constructed in the 5th century in Autun, France (Seidel, 44). An influx of pilgrims visiting the place to witness some relics that were believed to belong to Lazarus, a friend of Jesus of Nazareth, inspired the influx of pilgrims who could not fit comfortably in the initial cathedrals. Therefore, in 1120, the Romanesque St. Lazare Cathedral in Autun, France, began before it was consecrated in 1134 and eventually finished in 1146 (Seidel, 46). On the other hand, the Gothic Cathedral of Chartres, which is located in Chartres, about 50 miles from the French Capital of Paris, was constructed in 1194 and completed in 1220 (Joshi and Ar Manali, 162). It, too, was inspired by the influx of pilgrims visiting the site to see a relic that is believed to represent the tunic worn by the Virgin Mary during Jesus' birth.
Stylistic Characteristics
As alluded to in the introduction section, the two structures have several similarities and differences despite being constructed in different architectural styles. St. Lazare Cathedral in Autun has thick walls, small windows, and buttresses that help in supporting the heavy roof walls. The Autun Cathedral also has two Aisles with massive pillars in between them (Seidel, 46). The walls on the side of the building also form a longitudinal curve at the roof, where they converge towards the pillars in the interior of the building. At the building entrance, the narthex is separated into two marked bays, while at the vane, there are seven other bays situated on either side of the aisles. The structure's elevation is divided into three major sections: the lower grand arcade, the middle triforium, and clerestory as the upper part.
On the other hand, Chartres Cathedral has a floor plan resembling a Latin cross with a carved head on the front side. Unlike the Romanesque Autun cathedral, Chartres gothic cathedral has flying buttresses that support the thin and weaker walls that consist of the more oversized windows. The larger windows, which are common to Gothic structures like the Chartres cathedral, lighten up the church to do away with the dark aspect of the Romanesque structures before the fallout among...