Honors College Lecture to Unpack the Ubiquity of Gothic Style

Photo by Russell Cothren

Students visiting Sainte-Chapelle in Paris on Honors Passport: Pilgrimage

When you hear the word Gothic, you may think of architecture, people, art, fiction or subculture. It’s a tremendous subject to cover. 

When Lynda Coon, dean of the Honors College, and Kim Sexton, associate professor of architecture, think of Gothic, they see the look on students’ faces as they pull up a photo of Sainte-Chappelle in Paris. It’s a wide-eyed, jaw-dropping moment. It’s why the two faculty became interested in the subject. 

“If you think about it, that’s the effect it had on many people throughout history,” Coon said. “Gothic architecture dominates the landscape for miles and miles. You would be advancing as a pilgrim, and it’s a beacon. It’s still impressive even if you are driving up now.” 

Coon, a medieval historian, and Sexton, an architectural historian, will deliver a lecture entitled “Gothic” at 5:15 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 22, in the Gearhart Hall Auditorium (GEAR 26). 

The lecture will consider the hold that Gothic art and architecture still have on the 21st-century imagination and why the style, birthed in the 12th century, still matters in the modern age. All on campus and in the community are invited to attend this free event.

“Gothic has a birthplace in France, unlike a lot of other architectural styles that bubble off in different directions and times,” Sexton shared. “The seminar aims to broaden understanding from stone and stained glass to Gothic as a cultural phenomenon.” 

This talk serves as a special preview for the pair’s spring 2024 Honors College Signature Seminar Gothic, which will trace the history of the architectural style and explore its influences.

ORGANIC STYLE

From Europe, into the “crusading world of the Holy Land” and swinging back to the Americas, Gothic reigns as an imperial style, and in the course, students will dissect its commodity and monarchical influence. 

“Gothic has massive capital in the history of technology,” Coon argued. “Even in the 12th century, it is such a signature form, easy to export. When you look at more modern periods, as Gothic flows into literary and artistic form, it ends up framing evolutionary theories of science.”

Sexton agreed that Gothic can be viewed as “organic” because it evolves where it is formed – even today – taking “the spirit and mindsets” of the people.  

“Gothic does take on strong associations with identity and history,” Sexton said. “But the fact it’s adaptable to the place of origin is the stronger element.” 

MIRACULOUS STABILITY 

Many university campuses across the country still use Gothic style’s inspiration to differentiate themselves from their traditional landscapes. You can even look to Gearhart Hall at the U of A. 

“I like to call it Ozark Gothic,” Coon laughed. “It’s not overly articulated, but it has austerity.” 

From learning history and architecture to understanding how Gothic intersects with nature and medicine, the course will be steeped in the interdisciplinary hallmark of honors courses. 

Sexton’s description of the architecture parallels the larger undertone of their course – the “miraculous stability” of Gothic. Soaring walls held up by thin columns. People remain entranced by the delicateness and flexibility weaved into the dominance of both building and style. 

SIGNATURE SEMINARS EXPLORE DIVERSE TOPICS 

Gothic is one of four Honors College Signature Seminars scheduled for fall and summer 2024. Other topics to be explored include:  

The Geography of Star Trek —taught by Fiona Davis, associate professor of geosciences;  

Technology Craft — taught by Vincent Edwards, director of technology for the School of Art, and Edmund Harriss, assistant professor of mathematics, and; 

Fashion, Identity and Power — taught by Eric Darnell Pritchard, associate professor English and Brown Chair in English Literacy.  

Deans of each college may nominate professors to participate in this program, and those selected to teach will become Dean’s Fellows in the Honors College.    

Honors students must apply to participate, and those selected will be designated Dean’s Signature Scholars. The course application is posted online on the Signature Seminars web page. 

The deadline to apply is Monday, March 10.    

ABOUT LYNDA COON

Coon joined the U of A faculty in 1990 as a history professor in the Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences. She has mentored nearly two dozen honors students on their thesis projects and served as honors adviser in the History Department for a decade. 

Coon earned a bachelor’s degree in history at James Madison University and master’s and doctoral degrees in history from the University of Virginia. She served as an associate dean of fine arts and humanities and director of the Religious Studies Program in Fulbright College prior to her appointment as Honors College dean. 

Dean Coon’s research focuses on the history of Christianity from circa 300-900 C.E. Her first book, Sacred Fictions: Holy Women and Hagiography in Late Antiquity, explored the sacred biographies of holy women in late antiquity. Her second book, Dark Age Bodies: Gender and Monastic Practice in the Early Medieval West, focused on the ritual, spatial and gendered worlds of monks in the Carolingian period (ca. 750-987 C.E.). 

ABOUT KIM SEXTON

Kim Sexton graduated from Binghamton University with a B.A. in 1984 and received her Ph.D. in the history of art from Yale University in 1998. Her field is late medieval and Renaissance Italy. She has taught architectural history in the Fay Jones School of Architecture since fall 1999.

About the Honors College: The University of Arkansas Honors College was established in 2002 and brings together high-achieving undergraduate students and the university’s top professors to share transformative learning experiences. Each year the Honors College awards up to 90 freshman fellowships that provide $80,000 over four years, and more than $1 million in undergraduate research and study abroad grants. The Honors College is nationally recognized for the high caliber of students it admits and graduates. Honors students enjoy small, in-depth classes, and programs are offered in all disciplines, tailored to students’ academic interests, with interdisciplinary collaborations encouraged. All Honors College graduates have engaged in mentored research.

About the University of Arkansas: As Arkansas' flagship institution, the U of A provides an internationally competitive education in more than 200 academic programs. Founded in 1871, the U of A contributes more than $2.2 billion to Arkansas’ economy through the teaching of new knowledge and skills, entrepreneurship and job development, discovery through research and creative activity while also providing training for professional disciplines. The Carnegie Foundation classifies the U of A among the few U.S. colleges and universities with the highest level of research activity. U.S. News & World Report ranks the U of A among the top public universities in the nation. See how the U of A works to build a better world at Arkansas Research and Economic Development News.