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Dictionary of Art
and Artists

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CHAPTER THREE
GOTHIC ART
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ARCHITECTURE
- Part 1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6,
7,
8,
9,
10,
11,
12,
13,
14
SCULPTURE
- Part 1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6,
7,
8,
9,
10,
11,
12,
13,
14
STAINED GLASS
- Part 1,
2
PAINTING
- Part 1,
2
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SCULPTURE
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Italy
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CHURCH FACADES.
Italian Gothic church facades generally do not rival
those of the French cathedrals as focal points of architectural and
sculptural endeavor. The French Gothic portal, with its jamb statues and
richly carved tympanum, never found favor in the south. Instead, we
often find a survival of Romanesque traditions of architectural
sculpture, such as statues in niches or small-scale reliefs overlaying
the wall surfaces (compare figs.
430
and 481).
At Orvieto Cathedral,
Lorenzo Maitani (before
1270-1330) covered the wide pilasters between the
portals with relief carvings of such lacelike delicacy that we become
aware of them only if we see them at close range. The tortures of the
damned from The Last judgment on the southernmost pilaster (fig.
505) make an instructive
comparison with similar scenes in Romanesque art (such as fig.
426). The hellish monsters are as
vicious as ever, but the sinners now evoke compassion rather than sheer
horror. Even here, we feel the spirit of human sympathy that
distinguishes the Gothic from the Romanesque.
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Lorenzo
Maitani
Lorenzo Maitani, (born c. 1275, near
Siena, republic of Siena [Italy]—died June 1330, Orvieto,
Papal States [Italy]), Italian architect and sculptor
primarily responsible for the construction and decoration of
the facade of Orvieto Cathedral.
Maitani established his reputation in
Siena and was called to supervise the construction at
Orvieto in 1308 when the unprecedented height and span of
the cathedral’s vaults and arches presented unforeseen
difficulties. In 1310 he received the title capomaestro of
the cathedral and became, in addition, overseer of bridges
and civic buildings.
Maitani’s most important contribution
was the design of the cathedral’s facade. Though his
contributions to the facade as a sculptor are difficult to
determine, it may be assumed that his sensibility dictated
the overall scheme. Two of the panels attributed to Maitani,
“Scenes from Genesis” and “The Last Judgment,” are delicate
bas-reliefs unified by an ascending vine that suggests a
French Gothic influence. Sculptures generally attributed to
Maitani include the bronze “Eagle of St. John” and the
“Angel of St. Matthew.”

Façade of the
Cathedral. 1310-30. Duomo, Orvieto
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First Pillar: Stories from Genesis. 1310-30. Marble. Duomo, Orvieto
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First Pillar: Stories from Genesis.
Adam and Eve
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First Pillar: Stories from Genesis.
Creation of Eve
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First Pillar: Stories from Genesis.
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First Pillar: Stories from Genesis.
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Second Pillar: The Messianic Phrophesies. 1310-30. Marble. Duomo,
Orvieto
1310-30
Marble
Duomo, Orvieto
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Third Pillar: Stories from the New Testament. 1310-30. Marble. Duomo,
Orvieto
1310-30
Marble
Duomo, Orvieto
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Fourth Pillar: The Last Judgment. 1310-30. Marble. Duomo, Orvieto
1310-30
Marble
Duomo, Orvieto
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505. LORENZO MAITANI. The Last
Judgment (detail), from
the facade of Orvieto Cathedral, ñ
1320
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The Angel: Symbol of St Matthew. c.
1329. Bronze. Duomo, Orvieto
The Eagle: Symbol of St John. c. 1329. Bronze. Duomo, Orvieto
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