Medieval Towns — their Business and Buildings 5 1 5 As the skill of the architects increased they became bolder Gothic and bolder and erected churches that were marvels of lightness ^^" ^^^^^ and delicacy of ornament, without sacrificing dignity or beauty of proportion. The facade of Rheims cathedral (Fig. 184) is one of the most famous examples of the best work of the thirteenth century, with its multitudes of sculptured figures and its gigantic rose window (Fig. 185), filled with exquisite stained glass of great bril- liancy. The interior of Exeter cathedral (Fig. 186), although by no means so spacious as a number of the French churches, affords an excellent example of the beauty and impressiveness of a Gothic interior. The porch before the north entrance of Chartres cathedral (Fig. 187) is a magnificent example of fourteenth-century work. One of the charms of a Gothic build- ing is the profusion of carving — statues of saints and rulers and scenes from the Bible, cut in stone. The same kind of stone was used for both constructing the building and making the statues, so they harmonize perfectly. A fine example of medieval carving is to be seen in Fig. 190. Here and there the Gothic stone carvers would introduce amusing faces or comical animals (see Figs. 182, 189). In the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries Gothic other than churches were built. The most striking and impor- tant of these were the guild halls, erected by the rich corpora- tions of merchants, and the town halls of important cities. But the Gothic style has always seemed specially appropriate for churches. Its lofty aisles and open floor spaces, its soaring Fig. 190. Eve and THE Serpent, Rheims buildings Gothic used mainly in churches
