The Celtic book designs (manuscripts) and the Gothic era

Celtic book design

A Celtic design is abstract and very difficult to understand; geometric patterns, twist and space filled with thick visual textures, bright pure colours are used in close juxtaposition. Highly abstract patterns were applied to the books. Manuscripts containing the four narratives of the life of Christ are the summit of Celtic book design. The Book of Durrow 680CE is recorded to be the earliest fully designed Celtic book.

The book of Durrow, is represented as a flat cubist painting, made out of simple geometric forms. The designs itself  as many of the Celtic art is presented to be oriental.  

Gothic era:

The Romanesque period evolved into the Gothic in 1150 CE up till the fourteenth-century. This is the Pauline Epistles, the mid-twelfth century; this is an example of a gothic style manuscript (made in France). The serpent looking letter ‘P’ is a complex design influenced from the Celtic manuscripts.

Other than manuscripts other important creations were made at this time for example: The architecture.

The period had dominated for 350 years, which was followed by Renaissance. The characters of this movement being: sculpture, stained glass, illuminated manuscripts and the architecture.

Before the period the architecture had block designs, buildings were heavy and dark. The Gothic architecture had changed designs it included: curves and pointed arches. The reasoning was to create buildings which were wider, but also taller. Good examples of such constructions would be the cathedrals, some of which stand above a 100 feet tall. The tallest gothic building being Gothic nave, found at Beauvais cathedral which reaches 160 feet. These architectures came with the use of the stained glass.  

A man by the name of Benedictine abbot, said that the previous churches were boring and dull, his mind transformed he wanted to make it tall enough to reach the sky, he wanted to make side walls made of glass and invent curves to hold everything.

Reims Cathedral in France

This Cathedral has good use of the Gothic architecture; one of the most known traits that make this architecture important is the roof of the building being one of the highest this building’s roof stands up to 125 feet. The whole upper of the Cathedral is stained glass

Reference: 

Philip.B.Meggs, Alston W.Purvis Megg's History of Graphic design 5th Edition,1998, New Jersey.

Dr.Karen Carr , Gothic Architecture, http://www.historyforkids.org/learn/medieval/architecture/gothic.htm October 10, 2013 (updates), date visited 25th October 2013 

Art Fortune, Gothic, http://www.artfortune.com/gothic/, date visited 25th of October 2013

Gothic Architecture, http://library.thinkquest.org/11114/html/gothic.htm, date visited 25th of October 2013