Search Results (124)

This article explores Truman Capote’s parodic/reconstructive exploitation of decadent aesthetics in his “Southern Gothic” novel, Other Voices, Other Rooms (1948), as dissident self-distancing from postwar conservatism. Modernist Southern Gothic writers owe European decadent culture for their thematization of the sociocultural decay of the antebellum South and characterization of dandiacal dissidents, while often reiterating the claustrophobic mood of the patriarchal and racist society and excluding/villainizing those dandies. Critically analogizing the nationalist heteronormativity of the early-Cold War American society with the oppressive patriarchy of the South, OVOR playfully deconstructs the tragic narrative of Modernist Southern Gothic by foregrounding the reparative aspect of decadent aesthetics mainly through the pedagogic relationship between a Wildean dilettante, Randolph, and a young protagonist, Joel. Simultaneously, with the ironical self-satire against the potential authoritarianism of white bourgeois decadence, Capote democratizes decadent aesthetics as a non-normative survival method through the exposure of Randolph’s vulnerability and the parodic adaptation of his dilettantism by the non-white characters. I argue that OVOR marks the vacillating but inevitable transition from decadence to camp as a seemingly non-political but necessary survivalist strategy in the Cold War/Pre-Stonewall American society that conducts surveillance of, persecutes, and stigmatizes as “decadence” non-normative genders and sexualities. Full article

Violet Tweedale, granddaughter of the notable Scottish publisher Robert Chambers of Chambers’s Edinburgh Journal, became a prominent figure in the spiritualist and subsequent theosophy movements when she formed a close association with H. P. Blavatsky. Writing in the transitionary period between Victorian spiritualism and the Edwardian popularity of the esoteric and Eastern-inspired theosophy religion, Tweedale’s writings navigate between the true apparition narratives of Ghosts I Have Seen (1919) and the Arthur Conan Doyle-endorsed Phantoms of the Dawn (1928), with their emphasis on scientific inquiry championed by 19th-century psychical researchers, and novels such as Lady Sarah’s Son (1906) and The Beautiful Mrs. Davenant (1920) that emphasise the moral and philosophical promises of Blavatsky’s doctrine of spiritual progress. Tweedale’s turn-of-the-century supernatural writings illustrate the cultural and geographical shifts—from Tweedale’s native Scotland in the last decades of the Victorian era to the legacies of a Russian mystic’s New York-founded Theosophical Society—that influenced spiritualists’ increasingly global post-WWI relationships to both scientific futures and gothic pasts. Full article

This article proposes a comparative framework for interpreting architectural and armorial artefacts through morphological and symbolic analysis. Focusing on the Romanesque, Gothic, and Renaissance periods, the study explores how buildings and body armour—though differing in scale and function—encode similar cultural values related to protection, identity, and representation. Rather than seeking direct historical transmission, the research reveals convergent design logics shaped by shared symbolic imperatives. Methodologically, the article combines typological comparison with embodied heritage practices. These include experimental reconstruction, traditional stone carving, and field-based conservation conducted through the Ambulance for Monuments (Ambulanța pentru Monumente) programme. Such experiences support a situated understanding of proportion, articulation, and material behaviour in both architecture and armour. By repositioning historical armour as a culturally meaningful artefact rooted in craft knowledge and symbolic logic, the study contributes to current debates in heritage science. It argues for the inclusion of martial objects within broader frameworks of heritage interpretation. The findings highlight how architecture and armour function as co-expressive elements of a shared design culture, offering new insights for research, conservation, and the communication of historical meaning. Full article

As the cathedral serving Zuoyun and parts of Inner Mongolia, the Batayizi Church in Datong, Shanxi is the largest surviving Italian Gothic-style Catholic church in the region. The church features a rigorous layout and refined details, making it a significant case study for the dissemination and development of Western architecture in China. Previous studies have focused on local chronicles, aesthetic analyses, and the indigenization of Catholic churches in Shanxi. Due to the scarcity of archival materials, research on the architecture itself has not yet been conducted. The article first summarizes the construction rules of local form and order of Italian Gothic churches based on related church remains and literature. Next, it establishes the architectural form of the church by combining construction rules and field surveys. Finally, the reconstruction design of the church is completed. As the first reconstruction study of the Batayizi Church, this paper attempts to explore a Reconstruction path based on the construction of local form and order of the church and systematically restores the main facade, floor plan, and structural form of the church. The results not only provide insights for the reconstruction of modern Catholic churches in Shanxi but also offer new ideas and methods for the study of the localization of Western architecture in China. Full article

The Palma Cathedral, a landmark of Mediterranean Gothic architecture, features some of the most structurally daring slender piers in European ecclesiastical design. This study examines the role of marés stone—a local marine calcarenite—in enabling such architectural feats despite its inherent fragility. A multi-technique, non-invasive diagnostic campaign was conducted, including visual inspection, portable microscopy, and infrared thermography, to evaluate the physical condition and behavior of the stone under structural and environmental stress. The results reveal widespread deterioration processes—granular disintegration, alveolization, biological colonization, and structural cracking—exacerbated by the stone’s high porosity and exposure to marine aerosols and thermal fluctuations. Thermographic analysis highlighted moisture retention zones and hidden material discontinuities, while crack monitoring confirmed long-standing, localized structural strain. These findings demonstrate that the Cathedral’s formal audacity was grounded in a refined empirical understanding of marés’ properties. The study underscores the importance of material-based diagnostics for the sustainable conservation of Gothic heritage architecture. Full article

The Cathedral of Beauvais remains one of the most enigmatic and ambitious architectural undertakings of the Gothic era. Conceived to surpass all other cathedrals in height and grandeur, it achieved unprecedented verticality but collapsed under the weight of its own aspirations. This article reexamines Beauvais as a case study in Gothic engineering—its structural daring, tragic failures, and enduring legacy—through a multidisciplinary approach combining historical research, technical analysis, and philosophical interpretation. Structured in accordance with standard academic conventions, the article outlines its methodology, presents a detailed reconstruction of the cathedral’s history, and discusses its broader cultural and conservation implications. A dedicated discussion section explores not only the engineering and symbolic significance of Beauvais but also the limitations of the present study and potential avenues for future research. Ultimately, the cathedral is framed not merely as a failed monument, but as a lasting testament to the human drive to build beyond known limits. Full article

Extended-reality (XR) tools are increasingly used to revitalise museum experiences, but typical head-mounted or smartphone solutions tend to fragment audiences and suppress the social dialogue that makes cultural heritage memorable. This article addresses that gap on two fronts. First, it proposes a four-phase design methodology—spanning artifact selection, narrative framing, tangible-interface fabrication, spatial installation, software integration, validation, and deployment—that helps curators, designers, and technologists to co-create XR exhibitions in which co-presence, embodied action, and multisensory cues are treated as primary design goals rather than afterthoughts. Second, the paper reports LanternXR, a proof-of-concept built with the methodology: visitors share a 3D-printed replica of the fourteenth-century Virgin of Boixadors while wielding a tracked “camera” and a candle-like lantern that lets them illuminate, photograph, and annotate the sculpture inside a life-sized Gothic nave rendered on large 4K displays with spatial audio and responsive lighting. To validate the approach, the article presents an analytical synthesis of feedback from curators, museologists, and XR technologists, underscoring the system’s capacity to foster collaboration, deepen engagement, and broaden accessibility. The findings show how XR can move museum audiences from isolated immersion to collective, multisensory exploration. Full article

Below the central nave of the Gothic Cathedral of Palencia (14th to 16th centuries) lies the Crypt of San Antolín, which represents the remains of a Visigothic building from the mid-7th century. The crypt itself has suffered recurrent episodes of flooding over the centuries. However, the latest flooding, which began in mid-2021 and ended in mid-2023, is one of the most long-lasting episodes on the historical record. To establish the origin of these flooding episodes, the geological and hydrological properties of the subsoil have been determined by direct prospecting techniques (drilling) and indirect geophysical techniques (Electrical Resistivity Tomography). The prospecting has determined that the aquifer in the area has a basin-like geometry, which favors the accumulation of water below the crypt. This work has shown that the recurrent floods suffered by the crypt prior to 2021 are related to episodes of intense rainfall. However, after 2021, there is a direct relationship between the persistent flooding and the onset of landscaping at the Plaza de San Antolín, one of the squares near the cathedral. In addition, previous archaeological excavations carried out in 1965 in that same square had disrupted the stratigraphic column, easing the percolation of water. We conclude that the increase in landscaped areas in archaeological environments may modify the hydrogeological dynamics of the subsoil and affect the surrounding buildings. Full article

The Mysteries of Udolpho was published at a time when poetry and music were being redefined, along with the notions of imitation and expression. From a precedence of word over music, theorists, musicians and composers started reconsidering the hierarchy of arts, which led to a new appreciation of both sung music and instrumental music. Ann Radcliffe’s novel is replete with pleasing sounds and mysterious melodies, working both as part of her décor and general soundscape and as a key element of the narrative. Given the novel’s musical profusion and versatility, one may wonder how to adapt its musicality into actual music. This paper, therefore, endeavors to define the balance of imitation and expression in The Mysteries of Udolpho and questions the ability of other media, especially those relying on sounds, to adapt its musical richness. It first focuses on the novel’s inscription in the larger context of musical theory, before delving into the limits of language’s sound mimesis and its counteracting expressivity. The final part is a case study of three artworks inspired by Radcliffe’s novel: John Bray’s song “Soft as yon’s silver ray that sleeps”, Catherine Czerkawska’s radio dramatization The Mysteries of Udolpho, and Marc Morvan and Benjamin Jarry’s album Udolpho. Full article

Curiosity lies at the heart of the sixteenth-century miscellany books, which served as precursors to the essay genre. Among them, a truly exceptional piece stands out: La silva curiosa by Julián de Medrano, published in 1583. This work pushes the boundaries of curiosity to such an extent that it challenges its classification within the genre of miscellany owing to its unconventional and strange nature. Julián de Medrano, the author of this outlandish work, transforms himself into a character and protagonist, defining himself as an “extremely curious” individual. During his extensive travels, he curates a collection of “curious” epitaphs associated with often comical and peculiar deaths, spanning Latin, Spanish, Portuguese, French, Galician, and Italian. In addition to this, La silva curiosa includes an autobiographical narrative, a precursor to the Gothic genre, in which Medrano recounts unsettling encounters with black magic. This work offers a multifaceted exploration of curiosity, taking it to the extreme by narrating the author’s life experiences driven by a relentless pursuit of the curious, which is synonymous with the bizarre, extraordinary, marvelous, and unexpected. La silva curiosa emerges from a time marked by an almost nihilistic void, as the full force of the Baroque era has not yet arrived, and the ideals of humanism are fading away. It stands as a unique document that unveils an unexpected facet of the concept of curiosity within Spanish Renaissance culture. Full article

The author analyzes various cases of breaking seal matrices in medieval Catalonia and other regions in this text. The manuscript notes of the Catalan sigillographer Ferran de Sagarra guide the exploration of the mechanisms of signification associated with an essential medieval political theology. Beyond the materiality of the sigillary matrix and the printed seal, one can decipher a series of iconic behaviors that allow the author to propose a method for understanding European cultural history through anachronistic narrative forms akin to those of Aby Warburg, Walter Benjamin, or, more recently, Georges Didi-Huberman. It is possible to demonstrate the historical validity of seals in the service of a cultural history and thought that transcends political or religious narratives, opening new horizons in the understanding of the Latin West from the Carolingian period to the apex of international Gothic. Full article

Australian author Garth Nix has set six critically acclaimed and internationally bestselling novels and several shorter works in and around the fictional world of the Old Kingdom, beginning with Sabriel (1995) and continuing most recently with Terciel & Elinor (2021). This loose series of texts, with its bellringing protagonists, is the prime contributor to his reputation as an author of high fantasy fiction, although he is also marketed as and known for writing science fiction and other related subgenres. Most notably, his work prominently features elements of the Gothic. This aspect of his work and the ways in which it creates tension within the “high” fantasy genre becomes increasingly apparent when examined through the lens of sound—a critical method that has potential for charting the entanglements of this genre with other popular genres of fiction. Full article

As an early vehicle for the spread of Western architectural culture in China, Catholic churches from the late 19th to the early 20th century exhibited unique Sino-Western fusion characteristics, serving as tangible witnesses to modern cultural encounters. This study focuses on the Anqing Catholic Church as a typical example and systematically analyzes its architectural translation strategies and the generation logic of fusion mechanisms through literature analysis, field research, typological analysis, and comparative research. This study shows that the church, based on the archetypes of Neoclassical and single-tower Gothic churches, constructs a localized translation system through five paths: site selection strategy, form adjustments, element replacement, technical integration, and spatial secularization. Our research further points out that churches with dual archetypes are mainly located in economically prosperous urban centers, with their spatial forms reflecting a fusion mechanism of “sacredness–regionalism–humanism”. While following religious space requirements, these churches adapt to the local environment and foster cultural identification through localized translation, reflecting the diverse perspectives of the architects. Full article

Bridging the horrors of the Black American experience with the literary legacies of the postfeminist Gothic, Matt Ruff’s Lovecraft Country comments on the deformation of time and space for Black women. Reflecting the historic preoccupation of the Gothic with the social anxieties of gender and sexuality, many of Lovecraft Country’s chapters center on economically or socially mobile Black women and respond to the contemporary conditions of the postfeminist Gothic and intersectional discourses of race, class, and gender. In the end, Lovecraft Country signals White patriarchal colonial geography as weird and represents its Black women characters as figuratively undead modern subjects due to intersectional oppression. Full article

The relationship between Vapor Pressure Deficit (VPD) and condensation in a naturally ventilated Gothic greenhouse in northeastern Mexico was analyzed using numerical simulation techniques. This study was carried out in 3D in a steady state, considering the presence of crops. The model was validated with experimental data on temperature and relative humidity. Custom Field Functions (CFFs) were implemented to calculate VPD and dew point temperature (T_dp). The conditions that cause condensation inside the greenhouse were analyzed by evaluating days with and without the presence of condensation, with 100 and 50% window opening configurations, and the relationship between condensation and VPD levels was established as an indicator of this phenomenon. The simulation results showed that condensation conditions can be prevented by opening the ventilation at its maximum capacity in a timely manner. In the simulation with a 50% opening, VPD values of zero were reached and coincided with zero and negative values in the subtraction of ambient temperature and dew point temperature. However, when opening the windows to 100%, the VPD maintained values between 0.15 and 0.25, and the dew point temperature remained below ambient temperature by up to 2 °C. It is concluded that the VPD can indicate the risk or presence of condensation inside the greenhouse. Full article