Gothic,
Medieval artistic and architectural style in Europe from the 12th-15th cents. Originating in
France, it supplanted the Romanesque style. Gothic art was flowing, mystical, individualistic, and tended
toward the naturalistic. Architecture (and allied decorative arts) dominated the movement. Gothic
architecture was characterized by height, high vaulted ceilings, tracery between large (often stained glass)
windows, and flying buttresses. There was increasing emphasis on decorative detail toward the end of the
movement. The most famous example of Gothic architecture is the Cathedral of Notre Dame in Paris. The
Gothic styles gave way to the Renaissance forms.1
1Excerpted from The Complete Reference Collection. Copyright © 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997 The
Learning Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved.