Gothic architecture and art: The Waning of the Gothic Style

Toward the end of the 14th cent., many Flemish artists went to France, and a Franco-Flemish style was created, showing an elegance and interest in minute detail; so wide was its diffusion that it came to be known as the International Style. At about this time panel painting, under the lead of Flanders and Italy, achieved preeminence over all other forms of painting. In the 15th cent. individual painters, such as Stephan Lochner, Martin Schongauer, and Mathias Grünewald in Germany, marked the culmination of Gothic art. Others, such as Jean Fouquet in France and the Van Eycks in Flanders, pointed the way to the Renaissance, while retaining much of the Gothic spirit. In 15th-century Italy, where the Gothic style had never really taken root, the early Renaissance was already in full flower.

Sections in this article:

• Introduction
• The Waning of the Gothic Style
• Other Gothic Arts
• Gothic Sculpture
• Late Gothic Styles
• Gothic Architecture Outside France
• Landmarks of French Gothic Architecture
• Characteristics of Gothic Architecture
• The Nature of the Gothic
• Bibliography

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