
Gothic by Design
The Dawn of Architectural Draftsmanship
Femke Speelberg(Author)
Metropolitan Museum of Art (Publisher)
Published on 14. April 2026
Book
Hardback
220 pages
978-1-58839-808-6 (ISBN)
Description
Rare architectural drawings from the Gothic period uncover a flourishing tradition of design and draftsmanship, making this book essential for understanding the roots of modern architecture
The Gothic era produced some of the Western world's most imposing structures, today icons of the European cityscape. Unlike buildings from the Renaissance onward, these medieval works are rarely discussed as the products of the ingenious, innovative contributions of individual architects. This book challenges that common perception by asserting the significant impact of draftsmanship on the development of the Gothic style from the twelfth to early sixteenth century. The rediscovery of a little-known corpus of
architectural drawings and prints reveals the crucial role of drawings in the development of complex and visually appealing structures-from monumental stone cathedrals to small liturgical objects. Gothic by Design includes surprising ties to contemporary concerns, showing how these works on paper functioned on and off the building site, established the basis for modern concepts of artistic identity and intellectual property, and provided evidence of the long afterlife of Gothic design strategies and their potential use today in sustainable architecture.
Published by the Metropolitan Museum of Art/Distributed by Yale University Press
Exhibition Schedule:
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
(April 16-July 19, 2026)
The Gothic era produced some of the Western world's most imposing structures, today icons of the European cityscape. Unlike buildings from the Renaissance onward, these medieval works are rarely discussed as the products of the ingenious, innovative contributions of individual architects. This book challenges that common perception by asserting the significant impact of draftsmanship on the development of the Gothic style from the twelfth to early sixteenth century. The rediscovery of a little-known corpus of
architectural drawings and prints reveals the crucial role of drawings in the development of complex and visually appealing structures-from monumental stone cathedrals to small liturgical objects. Gothic by Design includes surprising ties to contemporary concerns, showing how these works on paper functioned on and off the building site, established the basis for modern concepts of artistic identity and intellectual property, and provided evidence of the long afterlife of Gothic design strategies and their potential use today in sustainable architecture.
Published by the Metropolitan Museum of Art/Distributed by Yale University Press
Exhibition Schedule:
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
(April 16-July 19, 2026)
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
New York
United States
Product notice
Cloth over boards
Illustrations
150 color illus.
Dimensions
Height: 317 mm
Width: 188 mm
Thickness: 30 mm
Weight
1178 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-58839-808-6 (9781588398086)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Persons
Femke Speelberg is curator, Department of Drawings and Prints, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.