. Art in France. l dia-logue between these two majesticfigures suggests a colloquy betweenvestal virgins. Such a variety of types and styleshows how little Gothic sculpture was fettered by formulas suchas those which had for centuries hampered painting. TheGothic sculptors were not all skilful, but they were all inspiredby a vigour unknown before their time. It took possession ofFrench artists, when, at the beginning of the thirteenth cen-tury, the plastic arts came for the first time into contact withlife. The evolution of orna-mental forms is more sig-nificant of the intimate pre-dilections
. Art in France. l dia-logue between these two majesticfigures suggests a colloquy betweenvestal virgins. Such a variety of types and styleshows how little Gothic sculpture was fettered by formulas suchas those which had for centuries hampered painting. TheGothic sculptors were not all skilful, but they were all inspiredby a vigour unknown before their time. It took possession ofFrench artists, when, at the beginning of the thirteenth cen-tury, the plastic arts came for the first time into contact withlife. The evolution of orna-mental forms is more sig-nificant of the intimate pre-dilections of French tastethan that of architectureor the representation offigures. Nothing charac-terises the style of a periodso strongly as its grammarof ornament, those formswhich are born spon-taneously under the artistshand when it is uncon-trolled by any law ofutility or imitation. Atthe same period when architects set their vaults upon intersectingarches, sculptors transformed the appearance of the capitals which 80. HG. If)I.—SHRINE OF SAINT CAUIINE. IN THE MUS^.E DOBREE (NANTES). (Photo. Gibouin.) COMMUNAL OR GOTHIC ART
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1910, bookpublishernew, booksubjectart
