A WALK OF THE CLOISTER OF BATALHA (PORTUGAL).—lmmediately remarkable are the strict articulation, the emphasis on the surrounding walls and the heavy vaulting. Obviously aimed at is an extreme contrast with the exterior view. In the Cloister of Batalha, in which Islamic, even Indian, decorative forms mingle with a basic Gothic architecture, the “Emmanueline” style (named after a King of Portugal) found its most imaginative unfolding. A glimpse of the geometrically decorative patterns and tracery work of the outer courtyard can be had through the first arch on the left of the picture, which is taken from “Gothic” in Macdonald’s “Living Architecture” series. In each item of this series the publishers give us a contemporary appraisal, specially photographed, of a great architectural epoch of the past. In this volume, dozens of magnificent plates evoke the majesty and beauty of Gothic architecture. The book includes architectural plans of many Gothic constructions; these have been specially drawn for the series, and some are in the form of double-page fold-outs. Hans H. Hofstatter describes the political and religious backgrounds to the Gothic period, and he looks in detail at some of the most magnificent examples of architectural style that had its heyday in the thirteenth century, and has had strong influences on architecture ever since.

Press, Volume CX, Issue 32382, 22 August 1970, Page 4

A WALK OF THE CLOISTER OF BATALHA (PORTUGAL).—lmmediately remarkable are the strict articulation, the emphasis on the surrounding walls and the heavy vaulting. Obviously aimed at is an extreme contrast with the exterior view. In the Cloister of Batalha, in which Islamic, even Indian, decorative forms mingle with a basic Gothic architecture, the “Emmanueline” style (named after a King of Portugal) found its most imaginative unfolding. A glimpse of the geometrically decorative patterns and tracery work of the outer courtyard can be had through the first arch on the left of the picture, which is taken from “Gothic” in Macdonald’s “Living Architecture” series. In each item of this series the publishers give us a contemporary appraisal, specially photographed, of a great architectural epoch of the past. In this volume, dozens of magnificent plates evoke the majesty and beauty of Gothic architecture. The book includes architectural plans of many Gothic constructions; these have been specially drawn for the series, and some are in the form of double-page fold-outs. Hans H. Hofstatter describes the political and religious backgrounds to the Gothic period, and he looks in detail at some of the most magnificent examples of architectural style that had its heyday in the thirteenth century, and has had strong influences on architecture ever since.