The first two photos show Victorian/ Gothic architecture which is so much different than today’s contemporary architecture. Gothic architecture was modeled after mid evil castles and was developed in the 1700′s. In the 1800′s the style had became very popular for churches and many English houses that wanted to reflect the look of a castle. During her reign, Queen Victoria favored the Gothic style very much. Architecture, much like anything else, has throughout centuries fallen victim to ruin. Ruin is defined as destruction and ware on an object or place over time. In the pictures of the Gothic cathedral, I wanted to capture this concept. In the zoomed in photo, it is easy to see the roughness in the photo and how over time, it has been weathered from natural elements. The color of the stone has faded and is years past its prime.
When examining these pictures further and noticing the roughness that overcomes the cathedral’s walls, I wanted to take a second look at the picturesque and compare Gilpin’s ideas to my interpretation of architectural ruin. In his essay he describes the picturesque as being rough or rigid, which can also describe something that has been destroyed. Gilpin also discusses the idea of finding beauty in the imperfections of life. Ancient ruins, though crumbling and worn, still hold beauty and are seen by millions of people all around the world. The picturesque, much like ruin, is defined by onlooker. Every ones idea of these two concepts lies in their own beliefs.
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Anonymous. “Architecture and Sculpture.”http://www.erasofelegance.com/arts/victarchitecture.html
