Gothic

The Annunciation and Visitation, jamb statues of central doorway, west facade, Reims Cathedral, Reims, France.

The Reims Cathedral is a prime example of the High Gothic style in sculpture. The statues and reliefs of the west facade celebrate the Virgin Mary. Within this area is located a piece called the Annunciation and Visitation. It is also the place I would like to put most of my focus. The Visitation piece on the right contains both Mary and Saint Elizabeth. Both statues have a resemblance of Roman portriats. The reasons as to why Saint Elizabeth would be a part of Mary's story, would be because of her role during this time period as well. Having received the miracle of conceiving a baby at her old age, she was meant to bare John the Baptist. He is important due to his role of preparing the way of Christ. To the left, the Annuciation contains the angle Gabriel, bringing the news to Mary that she has been chosen to bare the Son of God. The Gothic statues are astonishing approximations of the Classical naturalistic style and incorporate contrapposto postures. There is a great rhythm of movement felt when looking upon these statues as there is the swaying of hips, knees are bent, and arms are set in motion. These jamb statues are actors in a biblical narrative. The storys that are being told are ones that influenced greatly the christian church. The stories narrated are ones that speak of miraculous accounts, consistent and necessary for the building up of the church. The roles played by the Virgin Mary, along with Saint Elizabeth, and the angle Gabriel are clearly illustrated, and beautifully rendered. Religiously there is a connection needing to be made by the viewer, in that they recognize the importance of these particular figures, and remember why it was they they should be honored and looked upon with great respect.