118: Here we can see the interior of Chartres. This view of the nave allows us to see two of the three things that make it possible for gothic architecture to be built in the manner that it is: tall and light (seemingly).
Of the two things we see here the first is the pointed arch. Again, the weight of a pointed arch is channeled mostly downward, meaning that you can construct the building to be higher. Give the link below a try to understand how pointed arches and round arches work in terms of physics. It’s actually pretty neat:
(Hit launch interactive to get to the fun part)
We also can see ribbed vaults and transverse arches. Ribbed vaults make it possible to support the roof of a structure, but we looked at these already when discussing St. Denis.
119: Here we can see flying buttresses, which would be the third thing that makes Gothic architecture possible. Flying buttresses provide support to the building by containing the weight that exerted outwards. Instead of having thicker walls, flying buttresses allow light to enter the building still through the stained glass windows, something that is vital to Gothic architecture.
120: Better view of the ribbed vaults which run diagonally across the vault creating an X pattern. Transverse arches are arches that run from one side of the vault to the other. Don’t mix them up!
121: Here we can see a graph of transverse arches. Transverse arches actually create a space that is used as a unit of measure known as a “bay”. The space between those two red arches (where the vault actually is a bay. We can see that the bay is framed on two sides by a transverse arch and on the adjacent sides by the arches in the nave arcade. That square created from those two arches and the two transverse arches creates a space, or unit of space, known as a bay.
122: Look at the crossing of the transept and the nave we can see the bay that is created from all four of the tall pointed arches. We also can see the diagonal crossings in the vault that create a ribbed vault.
123: In the nave of Chartres, or in all gothic churches, we see that they are arranged in what’s known as a nave elevation. On the bottom we have the arches which form the nave arcade. Next up we have a recessed space known as a triforium, and above that we have the windows which form the clerestory.
St. Chapelle
129: Not much to say here. This is not an AP work, but it helps us to see the evolution of Gothic architecture. This is also not a church, but a chapel. We can see the large rose window and also the large lancet windows that feature on the sides of the chapel. However, it is on the inside where we see what is truly astonishing about this building.
Moralized bible of St. Louis IX and Blanche of Castille
132: A moralized bible is a distinctive type of bible. It is a work that tells us the stories of the bible but in a way that is simpler to understand, while emphasizing the moral values of each story. The stories are also supplemented with images which make them even easier to understand for someone who is young. In this case, this moralized bible was commissioned by Blanche of Castille (Same as the North rose window in Chartres) for her son, Louis IX.
133: On the dedication page we can see two sets of figures; this is explained pretty well in the audio. But we can see that these figures are inside as they are enclosed by columns and arches. We can also see a city scape outside of the arches, leading us to see the city that exists outside of their room.
136: The Apocalypse page is one of those pages that helps to break down a story. The end of time is not a simple story, so to make it easier to understand we see the artist has broken it down into what he considered to be 8 important scenes. Each scene is drawn inside a circular area known as a roundel and is accompanied by a short text explaining the scene.
Golden Haggadah
This work is explained briefly in the prezi audio, but we can elaborate just a bit here. A haggadah was/is used to tell the story of Moses and the story of Passover. Haggadah’s were used in the same manner that Moralized bibles were; they could tell a story in a simple fashion. The difference here is that the Haggadah also transmits the importance of Passover. On each page you see a different story being told in four scenes read right to left, top to bottom.
The first scene, the Plagues of Egypt, show the different plagues that impacted Pharaoh and his lands each time he denied Moses and the Israelites their freedom. We see the Plague of Frogs, the plague of lice (not boils! Sorry!), the animal hordes attacking the people, and the death of domesticated animals. We see the final plague, death of the first born, in the first scene of the Scenes of Liberation folio.
The links below from the British Library provide a brief description on the Preparation for Passover and for the Scenes of Liberation. Check them out.