Gothic Architecture: Decoration and Sculpture Gothic architecture is widely known for its elaborate decorations and almost fantasy-like details built into cathedrals. Architects were transitioning from an era in which large, boxy Romanesque buildings were evolving to Gothic, with an extreme level of detail and decoration. For the first time, architects and builders have played with many new ideas that have overcome the constraints of this new building structure, they have created a project where there is much more to look at than massive walls and small, unelaborate windows. Some were created strategically, like the gargoyle. However, the grotesques were only created based on some artistic freedom and served no real purpose unlike the gargoyles which are actually waterspouts that discharge water from the roof. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Starting with decorative gargoyles and grotesques, gargoyles were created to actually serve a very practical purpose. As these buildings became more and more ornate, it was no longer possible to have a normal roof drainage system. They decided they wanted a waterspout that followed the decorative scheme of the rest of the structure. In addition to their practicality, gargoyles and their grotesque friends were spiritually important. The illiterates passing by the cathedral, who live in a world of superstition and belief, may have thought that they need to attend this church because otherwise they would find themselves chased by these flying creatures that fly free at night. Another aspect of decoration in Gothic architecture is the stories and sculptures carved into the front facade and doors of a cathedral. The front facade is practically a library with all the knowledge and advice represented in the images so that even people who cannot read can admire the facade. For example, Notre Dame de Paris has a very eccentric west facade. Going from left to right, Notre Dame has three main doors, called portals, the left is the "Portal of the Virgin", the middle is the "Portal of the Last Judgment" and the right is the "Portal of St. Peter". Anna." Starting from the most important, the central portal, depicting "The Last Judgment", its construction was the last to be finished. The lower architrave of this portal shows the dead coming out of their tombs, then on the upper architrave shows Archangel Michael weighing their souls. Depending on the life they lived, they would be sent to heaven or damned to hell, as is depicted in this scene above and around the central doorway, it depicts the story of the Virgin. In the central part of the architrave Mary is depicted on her deathbed surrounded by Jesus and the twelve apostles, with angels about to take her to heaven. The upper part of the architrave shows Mary in heaven being crowned queen shares the throne with Jesus. Finally the third door, the Portal of Saint Anna. On this portal many scenes of the birth of Jesus are depicted, such as the annunciation, the nativity and the epiphany , some were starting to create more realistic figures, which were starting to become proportionately more accurate. In other cases, the figures still remain god-like and unrealistic due to the elongated bodies and unrealistic shape, leaving them to appear floating. The Gothic Architecture art movement was a really big thing and was pretty much represented in every part of their structure. Another part of the mystical decoration of.