A Gothic-style house is a house that evokes the gothic style of cathedrals built during the Middle Ages in Europe. These typically two-story homes are known for their ornate style, characterized by stone facades, steep roof pitches, arch-style windows, and large chimneys.
What is a Gothic style house?
What is a Gothic Style House? A gothic style house is one made in a style of architecture that reached its peak in medieval times. This style experienced a revival in the 18th century. The architecture is characterized by leaded glass, steep gables, gingerbread trim, and arches that come to a point at the top instead of arcing smoothly.
Where is Gothic house in Iowa?
The American Gothic House, also known as the Dibble House, is a house in Eldon, Iowa, designed in the Carpenter Gothic style with a distinctive upper window. It was the backdrop of the 1930 painting American Gothic by Grant Wood, generally considered Wood's most famous work and among the most recognized paintings in twentieth century American art.
Which is the first Gothic building?
What was the first truly gothic building? The Basilica Church of Saint-Denis is regarded as the first truly Gothic building, and marks the styles evolution out of Romanesque. He created a pointed arch, ribbed vault and flying buttresses that supported the large clerestory windows.
What is a Gothic cottage?
What is a Gothic Brantford Cottage for those who may not know? Most often brick and built with a love for symmetry and classical proportions, the gothic Brantford cottage is generally a square or rectangular 1 or 1 1/2 story three bayed structure. A door in the centre, often with a transom or ‘fan’ window above it, and a window placed to ...
What is a Gothic style house?
What Makes a House Gothic-Style?
When did Gothic homes become popular?
What makes a home Gothic?
The most commonly identifiable feature of the Gothic Revival style is the pointed arch, used for windows, doors, and decorative elements like porches, dormers, or roof gables. Other characteristic details include steeply pitched roofs and front facing gables with delicate wooden trim called vergeboards or bargeboards.
What does a Gothic home look like?
Hallmarks of this dramatic style include vaulted ceilings, arched windows and ornate details, such as flying buttresses and the occasional leering gargoyle. The Gothic period began in 12th century France and stretched until the 16th century, but its influence has spanned half a millennia.
What is American Gothic House?
(a.k.a. The Dibble House) The American Gothic House in Eldon, Iowa is famous as the backdrop of Grant Wood's 1930 painting, American Gothic. Since completion, the painting has become an American icon, and has been both the backdrop and the model for a countless number of parodies.
Which is an example of Gothic style?
The Canterbury Cathedral It is the first important example of English Gothic architecture, evident in the construction of the choir, the nave, the triforium, and the clerestory.
What are three characteristics of Gothic architecture?
Gothic architecture is unique. The main characteristics of Gothic architecture include pointed arches, stained-glass windows, flying buttresses, ribbed vaults, and spires.
What does Gothic decor look like?
Typically, Gothic interiors have very heavy curtains. The right window dressing can bring a room together. And don't forget wall moldings and intricate wood carvings in wall accents. Gothic decor includes ornate pieces like globes, as well as intricately carved wood features.
What style is American Gothic?
ModernismAmerican Gothic / PeriodLet us know. American Gothic, painting by Grant Wood completed in 1930. Grant Wood, an artist from Iowa, was a member of the Regionalist movement in American art, which championed the solid rural values of central America against the complexities of European-influenced East Coast Modernism.
Why is it called American Gothic?
When the artist saw an unusual house in Iowa with an upper window with pointed arches usually found in churches, he was inspired to paint this picture with the kind of people he imagined would live inside. The title 'American Gothic' is therefore a reference to the neo-Gothic architectural style of this house.
Why American Gothic is so famous?
It was painted in 1930, when US artists were inspired to paint realist scenes of rural America during the Depression, rejecting European modernist influences for a decidedly home-grown, often folksy authenticity, in a style that became known as Regionalism.
What are the 7 elements of Gothic architecture?
Gothic Architecture History, Characteristics and ExamplesLarge Stained Glass Windows.Pointed Arches.Vaulted Ceilings.Flying Buttresses.The Gargoyles of Gothic Architecture/ Ornate Decorations.
What is Gothic interior design?
The most important themes in Gothic interior design include a heavy use of ornate decorations, dark but rich colors, and an emphasis on vertical elements and natural light. Ideally, the light should be filtered through stained-glass windows.
Why is Gothic architecture so called?
The term Gothic was coined by classicizing Italian writers of the Renaissance, who attributed the invention (and what to them was the nonclassical ugliness) of medieval architecture to the barbarian Gothic tribes that had destroyed the Roman Empire and its classical culture in the 5th century ce.
How can I decorate my home Gothic?
11 Gothic Decor Ideas That Are Classy and Dramatic01 of 11. Add Black Decorative Accents. ... 02 of 11. Opt for (Some) Dark Furnishings. ... 03 of 11. Don't Shy from Wallpaper. ... 04 of 11. Choose Dramatic Drapery. ... 05 of 11. Set the Mood With Candles. ... 06 of 11. Consider a Chandelier. ... 07 of 11. Recreate Lancet Windows. ... 08 of 11.More items...•
What is Gothic interior design?
The most important themes in Gothic interior design include a heavy use of ornate decorations, dark but rich colors, and an emphasis on vertical elements and natural light. Ideally, the light should be filtered through stained-glass windows.
What is Victorian Goth?
Victorian Goth is a style that merges the classic trends of Victorian fashion with Goth sensibilities. Not to be confused with Romantic Goth, which pulls inspiration from the Romantic era which began at the end of the 18th century and ended in the mid-1800s before the Victorian era had properly landed.
What is a Queen Anne Victorian house?
Queen Anne houses are Victorian-style houses that boast specific features—like asymmetrical exteriors and decorative trim. Queen Anne houses are also known for their wraparound porches, towers and turrets, and multicolored palettes. Queen Anne houses are known for their dynamic, asymmetrical facades.
Where is the American Gothic house?
American Gothic House. American Gothic. House. The American Gothic House, also known as the Dibble House, is a house in Eldon, Iowa, designed in the Carpenter Gothic style with a distinctive upper window. It was the backdrop of the 1930 painting American Gothic by Grant Wood, generally considered Wood's most famous work and among ...
How many bedrooms are there in the upper floor of a Gothic house?
The lower floor of the house contains three rooms and a bathroom, while the upper floor has two bedrooms. The house has been called the best-known example of a Carpenter Gothic cottage in the United States.
Why did the Dibbles put Gothic windows on the upper level?
There are two commonly accepted theories: the Dibbles may have wanted the windows to beautify their home at a time when rural life in Iowa was a struggle , or they could have been following a trend in which extravagant details were desirable in residences in the late nineteenth century, and the Dibbles chose windows whose costs would have been relatively reasonable at the time.
What is the Carpenter Gothic style?
Carpenter Gothic. NRHP reference No. 74002291. Added to NRHP. October 1, 1974. The American Gothic House, also known as the Dibble House, is a house in Eldon, Iowa, designed in the Carpenter Gothic style with a distinctive upper window. It was the backdrop of the 1930 painting American Gothic by Grant Wood, generally considered Wood's most famous ...
When was the American Gothic House Center renovated?
The house was renovated in 1992, with boosters hoping to see the house become a pop-culture tourism attraction, much like the Field of Dreams site in similarly rural Dyersville. Today the American Gothic House Center hosts approximately 15,000 visitors per year, which does not account for additional after-hours visitors.
When did the Jones family sell the American Gothic?
Decades after American Gothic was regarded as an American icon, the house continued to serve as a private residence, usually for rent, transferring ownership only once more from the Jones family to the Seldon Smith family at a " distress sale " in 1942.
What is the style of Hoover's house?
A similar style can be observed in the birthplace of President Herbert Hoover in West Branch, built a decade before the American Gothic House, which features board-and-batten siding, a simple shingled roof, a central chimney, white color, and a moderate size as well.
Where are Gothic houses built?
Here are some famous Gothic structures from around the globe: Westminster Abbey in London, England.
What is Gothic architecture?
Well-known for its pointed arches, flying buttresses, and large, stained glass windows, Gothic architecture is a European architectural type that originated in the mid-12th century and remained popular until the 16th century. Often employed for churches, cathedrals, and other massive stone buildings, Gothic architecture became extremely popular ...
Why did Gothic architects use ribbed vaults?
In order to build extremely tall structures with tall windows, Gothic architects began to use ribbed vaults—or arched vaults placed parallel to each other to support a rounded roof —rather than traditional vaulted beams. Not only did these intersecting vaults create visual interest, but they offered more support to tall Gothic structures.
What were the Gothic buildings that supported tall buildings?
Flying buttresses were another Gothic-era advancement that helped support tall, heavy Gothic buildings. Flying buttresses are shaped like half of an arch, and offer support by redistributing weight from a higher, heavy level, to a lower, more solid level.
What was the High Gothic period?
The High Gothic years, which lasted from 1250 to 1300 and was first introduced by Chartres Cathedral in France. This time period was defined by Rayonnant style, or highly ornate decorations on the buildings' exterior.
What are the windows in Gothic stained glass?
The windows are usually very tall and arched, or round, and were intended to let in as much natural light as possible. You'll often find tracery, a decorative, stone support, as well as biblical scenes in Gothic stained glass windows.
Which countries have a Gothic style?
Germany, Spain, and Britain created their own variations of Rayonnant Gothic architecture over the next several decades. The Late Gothic years, which lasted from the 15th to 16th centuries. During this time, Germany produced massively tall churches with vaulted ceilings.
When was American Gothic purchased?
American Gothic was purchased by the Art Institute of Chicago in late 1930, where it still resides to this day.
Where did Grant Wood paint the house?
Inspired, Wood quickly sketched the house, and returned home to Cedar Rapids to paint American Gothic. The house still stands to this day, and its exterior is viewed by thousands of people each year.
What is a Gothic style house?
A Gothic-style house is a house that evokes the gothic style of cathedrals built during the Middle Ages in Europe. These typically two-story homes are known for their ornate style, characterized by stone facades, steep roof pitches, arch-style windows, and large chimneys.
What Makes a House Gothic-Style?
While you likely won't see too many homes with flying buttresses, Gothic-style homes are typically constructed with stately stone facades and steep roof pitches (angles) that mimic their namesake architecture. Oftentimes, Lavender adds, Gothic-style homes include arch windows on the upper floors along with large chimneys or even actual towers to create a commanding, palatial look.
When did Gothic homes become popular?
In Europe, Lavender says large, two-story stone Gothic-style homes gained popularity in the mid-1800s and were a very popular style for country estates. Since then, the home style has also become relatively common in the United States, particularly during the gilded age, from the late 1870s to 1900, in the Eastern United States. For example, Lavender says Newport, Rhode Island is home to many notable Gothic-style homes.
Overview
The American Gothic House, also known as the Dibble House, is a house in Eldon, Iowa, designed in the Carpenter Gothic style with a distinctive upper window. It was the backdrop of the 1930 painting American Gothic by Grant Wood, generally considered Wood's most famous work and among the most recognized paintings in twentieth century American art. Grant Wood, who obse…
Early history and architecture
Charles A. Dibble (born 1836 in Saratoga County, New York), by various accounts a railroad man, livery stable owner, and Civil War veteran, lived in Eldon in the late nineteenth century. He and his wife, Catharine, began building the house in 1881 for themselves and their eight children. Its relatively simple board-and-batten siding, white color, and moderate size—just 504 square feet (46.8 …
American Gothic
During the summer of 1930, Edward Rowan, a young gallery director from Cedar Rapids, a large city approximately 80 miles (130 km) to the northeast of Eldon, attempted to promote fine arts in the rural town by opening a gallery and library and leading art classes in Eldon. Rowan's attempts were met with success—the Eldon Forum called the exhibitions "an unusual treat." This, along with an indeb…
Later history and current status
Decades after American Gothic was regarded as an American icon, the house continued to serve as a private residence, usually for rent, transferring ownership only once more from the Jones family to the Seldon Smith family at a "distress sale" in 1942. A grassroots movement to preserve the house was started as early as 1945 by Nan Wood, Grant Wood's sister and the female figu…
Notes
1. ^ Loth and Sadler, p. 104
2. ^ "Parcel Info". Wapello County Assessor. Retrieved September 13, 2013.
3. ^ "Grant Wood", Art Institute of Chicago. Retrieved December 14, 2008.
4. ^ A timeline of residents is maintained on a placard at the American Gothic House Center.
Further reading
• Howard, Beth M. (2018-03-18). "Masterpiece Rental: My Life in the 'American Gothic' House". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2018-04-05.
• Biel, Steven (2005). American Gothic : A Life of America's Most Famous Painting (1st ed.). New York: W.W. Norton & Co. ISBN 0-393-05912-X.
External links
• American Gothic House Center
• Grant Wood and Frank Lloyd Wright Compared
• Art Institute of Chicago: American Gothic
• State Historical Society of Iowa: American Gothic House