The Colosseum vs. Chartres Cathedral
ESSAY ONE: THE COLOSSEUM VS. CHARTRES CATHEDRAL
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THE COLOSSEUM VS. CHARTRES CATHEDRAL From the ancient city of Rome to the elaborate stained glass windows in France, two famous architectural works of art display the differences between architectural structures in the different time periods of history. By comparing and contrasting the Colosseum with the Chartres Cathedral we can gain an understanding of how architecture has not only improved throughout time, but also where certain architectural concepts started. Although the two structures were built over 1,100 years apart they still share similar architectural characteristics and explanations for why these similarities and differences exist. The construction of the Colosseum began in 72 CE and finished in 80 CE, in Rome, Italy. Sharing similar iconography with Chartres Cathedral, built between 1194-1250 CE in France, both the Colosseum and Cathedral practice the use of groin vaults. The Colosseum consists of 80 barrel vaults along each level of the structure and when they intersect and the barrel ring they create groin vaults which are also used in the Cathedral. Although both structures use groin vaults, Chartres Cathedral differs from the Colosseum by using a different type of groin vault, which is referred to as a rib vault. A rib vault uses extra masonry, known as ribs, that are used to reinforce the groins of the cathedral but can also be purely decorative.1 In addition to the differing vaults, the Colosseum also lacks any type of glass, or stained glass in its design, unlike Chartres Cathedral that contains 135 different stained glass windows that are used to tell narratives. The Colosseum 's barrel vaults also lack a tympanum at the top of the arches unlike the Cathedral which has tympanums along the tops of the arches on the west facade or Royal Portal. Engaged columns are used to support the friezes between the levels of the Colosseum
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Michael W. Cothern and Marilyn Stokstad, Art: A Brief
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THE COLOSSEUM VS. CHARTRES CATHEDRAL From the ancient city of Rome to the elaborate stained glass windows in France, two famous architectural works of art display the differences between architectural structures in the different time periods of history. By comparing and contrasting the Colosseum with the Chartres Cathedral we can gain an understanding of how architecture has not only improved throughout time, but also where certain architectural concepts started. Although the two structures were built over 1,100 years apart they still share similar architectural characteristics and explanations for why these similarities and differences exist. The construction of the Colosseum began in 72 CE and finished in 80 CE, in Rome, Italy. Sharing similar iconography with Chartres Cathedral, built between 1194-1250 CE in France, both the Colosseum and Cathedral practice the use of groin vaults. The Colosseum consists of 80 barrel vaults along each level of the structure and when they intersect and the barrel ring they create groin vaults which are also used in the Cathedral. Although both structures use groin vaults, Chartres Cathedral differs from the Colosseum by using a different type of groin vault, which is referred to as a rib vault. A rib vault uses extra masonry, known as ribs, that are used to reinforce the groins of the cathedral but can also be purely decorative.1 In addition to the differing vaults, the Colosseum also lacks any type of glass, or stained glass in its design, unlike Chartres Cathedral that contains 135 different stained glass windows that are used to tell narratives. The Colosseum 's barrel vaults also lack a tympanum at the top of the arches unlike the Cathedral which has tympanums along the tops of the arches on the west facade or Royal Portal. Engaged columns are used to support the friezes between the levels of the Colosseum
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Michael W. Cothern and Marilyn Stokstad, Art: A Brief
Bibliography: Cothern, Michael W. and Stokstad, Marilyn. Art: A Brief History. 4th ed. (New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 2010). Miller, Malcolm. Chartres Cathedral. (New York: Riverside Book Company, Inc., 1985). Welch, Katherine E. The Roman Amphiteatre: From its Origins to The Colosseum. (New York: Cambridge University Press, 2007). 9