![]() Horace Walpole (1717-1797) wrote the first Gothic novel, The Castle of Otranto while living in one of the earliest Gothic Revival mansions. In fact, two of the Gothic Revival’s earliest advocates were authors. The Gothic novel, a forerunner of the horror movie and typically set in a foreboding Gothic ruin came about at this time. The Gothic Revival and other medieval revivals had strong literary components, too. Gothic Literature: Original Horror Stories Title page of Horace Walpole’s The Castle of Otranto: A Gothic Story, third edition, via Pinterest Although general consensus now considers France the birthplace of Gothic architecture, several other countries had wanted to lay claim to it. The revival’s origin amongst English tastemakers was closely wrapped up in a sense of “Englishness” that the style was perceived to represent. The rediscovery of medieval culture also coincided with a period of intense European nationalism in the 19th century. ![]() On the other hand, the Gothic Revival should not be understood solely through the lens of Romanticism. The Middle Ages as Modern Nationalism Myddelton Biddulph Armorial Medallion, designed by Augustus Welby Northmore Pugin, 1841-1851, via Art Institute of Chicago For this reason, Gothic buildings often appear in Romantic landscape paintings, including works by Caspar David Friedrich and J.M.W. The idea of a simpler and more honest medieval way of life could be decidedly Picturesque, while a dark and mysterious Gothic ruin could evoke terrifying Sublimity. Moreover, the Middle Ages provide great examples of the Sublime and the Picturesque, two key components of Romanticism. The British Pre-Raphaelites and German Nazarenes, two groups of 19th-century painters, similarly drew inspiration from medieval aesthetics and values. It’s no wonder that people like Arts & Crafts proponent William Morris saw medieval handicraft traditions as the perfect antidote to the Industrial Revolution’s impersonal mass-production. To the Romantics, on the other hand, these qualities were seen as good things. To educated Europeans, the Middle Ages had long represented a time of ignorance and credulity that prioritized religion and superstition over science. The Gothic Revival is closely related to Romanticism, an 18th and 19th-century movement embracing the subjectivity and emotion that had been suppressed under the rigorously-logical Enlightenment. Pancras Hotel and Station, London, via Flickr
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