Not to get all Art History nerd on you, but our current cultural climate is starting to take some influence from the Gothic era that spanned from the mid-12th century to the 16th century.
That’s because, at the height of the Gothic era’s inception, an atmosphere of anxiety shaped how people saw the world and what they created. Europe was no stranger to hardship. Black Death in the mid-14th century wiped out huge swaths of the population, while earlier disasters like the Great Famine of 1315–1317 also left deep scars.
Meanwhile, political tension simmered in the background through events like the Hundred Years’ War. Against this backdrop, people lived with a heightened awareness that life could change or end without warning. You can see that mindset in the art of the time through things like the grotesque carvings peering from cathedral walls, part warning and part reminder of life’s darker side. Thus, Gothic art flourished in this mix of hope and unease.
