An upcoming exhibition at UMAG of HKU will showcase classic examples of statuary, stained glass, diptychs, textiles and caskets that were used in the expression of Christian devotion in Western Europe. High Gothic: Christian Art and Iconography of the 13th–14th Century, which opens on August 11 2021, will highlight selected objects from the McCarthy Collection. The exhibition aims to display the richness of Gothic artforms in both private and public spaces, while encouraging visitors to challenge the common perception that historical objects of art were monochromatic.

‘Gothic’ was originally a derogatory term coined by Renaissance scholars to describe the ‘barbaric’ medieval architecture that arose with the decline of the classical forms of the Roman Empire. The word is now understood to describe a style of buildings and objects created between the twelfth and fourteenth centuries, which incorporated novel advances in stained glass production and architectural features such as the ogival arch.

The Gothic period saw an increased emphasis on the power of images, where vision became an active force for activating emotion and inspiring contemplation. The exquisite Gothic objects featured in the McCarthy Collection represent a broad spectrum of workshops and styles across Western Europe, dating between the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries, all of which contributed to the splendour we now associate with the aesthetic of the High Gothic.