Gothic by design : the dawn of architectural draftsmanship / Femke Speelberg ; with an essay by Melanie Holcomb.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Speelberg, Femke, author, curator.

Contributor:

Holcomb, Melanie, contributor.

Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York, N.Y.), hosting institution, issuing body.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Architectural drawing, Medieval--Exhibitions.

Architectural drawing, Medieval.

Architecture, Gothic--Designs and plans--Exhibitions.

Architecture, Gothic.

Architecture, Medieval.

Genre:

exhibition catalogs.

Architectural drawings.

Exhibition catalogs.

Physical Description:

219 pages : illustrations (chiefly color) ; 32 cm

Distribution:

New Haven ; London : Yale University Press

Place of Publication:

New York : The Metropolitan Museum of Art, [2026]

Summary:

"Long before the towers of Gothic cathedrals could pierce the sky, architects outlined their vision and ambitions by creating intricate designs. The Gothic era, known for soaring structures like Notre-Dame in Paris, produced some of the Western world's most breathtaking buildings. Their overall height, tall spires, pointed arches, and light-filled spaces were a striking departure from the more rounded and fortress-like features of the preceding Romanesque period. These innovative elements resulted from a new focus on the design process that is documented in original architectural drawings. Gothic by Design: The Dawn of Architectural Draftsmanship reveals how master masons and other artists began to visualize and communicate their complex ideas for cathedrals and other architecture-inspired structures in drawings and, later, prints. Between the 13th and 16th century, these little-known artworks on parchment and paper became a significant factor in the stylistic evolution of Gothic architecture and art at large. This rare presentation of more than 90 works of art--drawings and prints alongside goldsmith works, architectural elements, sculpture, and painting--sheds new light on the artistic choices and expansive knowledge that informed the Gothic building practice. Explore the vision, imagination, and skillful artistry embedded in the carefully drawn plans of medieval architects and other artists of the day." -- Metropolitan Museum of Art website

Contents:

Director's Foreword / Max Hollein

Acknowledgments

Lenders to the Exhibition

Contributors

Rough Sketches : A Prehistory of Architectural Drawing in the Middle Ages / Melanie Holcomb

Vision Made Visible : The Gothic Building Tradition and Architectural Draftsmanship / Femke Speelberg

"Endowing Massive Walls with Variety" : Structure, Ornament, and Artistic Expression in Gothic Design / Femke Speelberg

Plates

Making Their Marks

Scaled Architecture

Variation and Transformation

Constructive Geometry

The Promise of Gothic Geometry

Notes

List of Plates

Selected Bibliography

Index

Photography Credits

Notes:

"This catalogue is published in conjunction with Gothic by Design: The Dawn of Architectural Draftsmanship, on view at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, from April 16 through July 19, 2026."--Colophon

Includes bibliographical references (page 214) and index

Local Notes:

Athenaeum copy: Albert M. Greenfield Memorial Fund.

ISBN:

9781588398086

1588398080

OCLC:

1575311339

Publisher Number:

CIPO000382977