Gothic Sculpture

Gothic sculpture continued the traditions as defined by the Romanesque period; it was first used primarily to decorate the exteriors of cathedrals and other religious buildings, followed by ecclesiastical statues, winged altarpieces and heraldic stones. The monumental sculpture progressively detached itself from its architectural background and became independent by the beginning of the 13th century. The early Gothic sculptures follow a partly Romanesque style, somewhat stiff and elongated, eventually adapting a more naturalistic feel in the late 12th and early 13th century.