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The facade of the church is obviously the most striking feature of the building as it demonstrates the grandeur of the period as well as the undying faith of those who commissioned and supported it (below). The legacy and history of the church as a Beguinage, a rather minimalist movement of very faithful and fascinating women who set themselves apart from secular life to live their faith. As when one views the facade he or she is stricken by how elaborate and detailed it is. The church facade demonstrates what might seem like a promise to the community with regard to the patronage it must have required to build.
There are also a couple of other striking features, elaborating on what I have already mentioned that are clearly worth analysis, first the Latin cross style of the church is striking when seen from above (see below). This view also offers a fantastic demonstration of the manner in which the church has been encroached upon by the city, though the work shows a small garden as well as the adjoining circle of the facade entrance it likely had significantly more grounds, buildings and support structures around it that are no longer present today. The 19th century witnessed the closing of the monastery associated with the Beguinage and it is unclear what building, if depicted, might have housed this aspect of the compound but it would be interesting to view them together to see the variation in the styles of building and the reflection of a more austere living quarters reflecting the more mundane.
The detail of the door is also a signficant and pictureaque representation of the work as its metal figures create striking images of a holy place and reflect the arcitecture of the period as well as the Italian influence associated with the architect. Luc Faydherbe is said to reflect his works as if they were paintings, though he worked in three dimensions as...
The depictions of the church are no doubt moving to the viewer, yet a real life trip to the place would likely greatly expand this impression and bring out far more details that do not translate in photographs. This work was chosen for analysis simply on the merit of the fact that it is a blended example of the period and because it is clearly a beautiful and moving example of stone architecture and places of worship.
Works Cited
"Brussels" Europe-cities, Eglise du Beguinage. 2004. .
Dooms, Jeremy, Beguinage Church in Brussels, Belgium (Eglise du Beguinage) detail of door 1676. 2011. .
Gilliant-Smith, Ernest. The Story of Brussels London: UK, J.M. Dent and Co. 1906.
Google Earth. Beguinage Church in Brussels, Belgium (Eglise du Beguinage) aerial view 1676. 2011. .
"Luc Faydherbe" Larrousse Encyclopedia online. 2011 .
Weaver, Benjamin. Beguinage Church in Brussels, Belgium (Eglise du Beguinage) facade 1676. 2004.
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Beguinage Church in Brussels, Belgium (Eglise du Beguinage) facade 1676 Photo by Benjamin Weaver
Interior View of Pulpit Beguinage Church in Brussels, Belgium (Eglise du Beguinage) 1676 photo by Michael Wal
Figure 3 Beguinage Church in Brussels, Belgium (Eglise du Beguinage) aerial view 1676, photo by Google Earth
Figure 4 Beguinage Church in Brussels, Belgium (Eglise du Beguinage) detail of door 1676, photo by Jeremy Dooms
Works Cited
"Brussels" Europe-cities, Eglise du Beguinage. 2004. <http://www.europe-cities.com/en/786/belgium/brussels/place/24948_eglise_du_beguinage / >.
Dooms, Jeremy, Beguinage Church in Brussels, Belgium (Eglise du Beguinage) detail of door 1676. 2011. <http://www.sacred-destinations.com/belgium/brussels-beguinage-church.htm>.
Gilliant-Smith, Ernest. The Story of Brussels London: UK, J.M. Dent and Co. 1906.
Google Earth. Beguinage Church in Brussels, Belgium (Eglise du Beguinage) aerial view 1676. 2011. <http://www.sacred-destinations.com/belgium/brussels-beguinage-church.htm>.
"Luc Faydherbe" Larrousse Encyclopedia online. 2011 <http://www.larousse.fr/encyclopedie/personnage/Faydherbe/119164>.
<http://www.europe-cities.com/en/786/belgium/brussels/place/24948_eglise_du_beguinage/>.
However, there is also a more prosaic explanation of the contrasting styles manifest in Gothic cathedrals: because they took so long to complete, the construction of the cathedrals was often interrupted by warfare, and thus they were constructed during different social periods and exhibited the influence of different builders, rulers, and forms of construction ("Medieval gothic principles," Medieval Spell, 2009). Furthermore, even when there is symmetry and surface order
. from passion to insanity" ('the Eighteenth Century," Internet). These "sublime" qualities are best expressed in Horace Walpole's magnificent Strawberry Hill residence in Twickenham, built between 1749 and 1777. As compared to Blenheim Palace, this structure is pure "Gothick" with its turrets, towers, battlements, galleries and corridors. In fact, Horace Walpole is credited with creating the Gothic style in English literature with his novel the Castle of Otranto, published in 1764. Of
By introducing abstract sequences, these people practically made it difficult and almost impossible for Christian leaders to consider that they needed to get involved in altering these concepts. The coming of George Augustus Selwyn in New Zealand had a strong effect on attitudes that the church would express with regard to the presence of Maori elements in churches. A power struggle within Christianity between Selwyn and Evangelical missionaries influenced natives
Romanesque and Gothic Architecture There were a number of changes that happened to Romanesque architecture to make it uniquely Gothic. Romanesque architecture was principally that for churches, whereas Gothic architecture manifested itself in cathedrals. The difference between these two is not mere diction; Romanesque churches had thicker walls and were darker and on the whole smaller than Gothic cathedrals, which encompassed a number of structural innovations to make them extremely vertical,
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