“Gothic,” derived from “Goth,” the generic name of the Teutons who invaded Europe in the fourth and fifth centuries, connotes cruelty and barbarity. It was in this opprobrious sense that “Gothic” was used by early art critics and architects such as Giorgio Vasari (1511-1574) and Sir Christopher Wren (1632-1723) to describe the dominant architecture of Europe from the twelfth century to the sixteenth. During the nineteenth century, there was a change in sentiment toward the Middle... more

Salem Press Encyclopedia, 2022. 3p.