Fiddleback Vs. Gothic?

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As Catholics we get to see much of what the Church has to offer, being Roman Catholic we get to see this style of expression in particular,
with that said what do you prefer and why when it comes down to chasubles
which is a prettier style Fiddleback Chasubles of Gothic. or do you think they could be used at different times in the Church Calendar
 
KaneKatholic said:
As Catholics we get to see much of what the Church has to offer, being Roman Catholic we get to see this style of expression in particular,
with that said what do you prefer and why when it comes down to chasubles
which is a prettier style Fiddleback Chasubles of Gothic. or do you think they could be used at different times in the Church Calendar
Click to expand...
Got some pics?
 
In the TLM, there are those of us who prefer the Roman (fiddleback) over the Gothic. Having said that, I find that many Gothic chasubles are very beautiful.

But I really like Roman. There are also many varities of both Roman and Gothic chasubles.

Spanish, French, Italian, etc.😃

Try here for some pictures; paxhouse.com/vestments.html
 
corsair said:
In the TLM, there are those of us who prefer the Roman (fiddleback) over the Gothic. Having said that, I find that many Gothic chasubles are very beautiful.

But I really like Roman. There are also many varities of both Roman and Gothic chasubles.

Spanish, French, Italian, etc.😃

Try here for some pictures; paxhouse.com/vestments.html
Click to expand...
Yes, I think in either case the cut and quality are 90% of the issue. There are gothic chasubles so baggy and ill-draping that it’s like wearing a bedsheet, and fiddlebacks so cut-down and skinny that it’s like wearing a wifebeater. A roman chasuble with some real size to it, like below, is probably the best of both worlds.

 
Well, I like both the same, really. Here, fiddlebacks are more rare. Though they are used, not as much as roman or monastic-style chasubles. I love fiddlebacks with a chapel-brocade pattern, and I love fiddlebacks with the cross on them. Though, as long as the prist doesn’t wear something with grapes and wheat and a rainbow, I’m alright!
 
The only Roman chasuble I’ve seen in over 30 years has been in a catalog or here. No parish I’ve been involved in owned one and no priest at any Mass I’ve attended wore one.

My tastes run to plain rather than ornate so I prefer a sedate, non-polyester gothic to a richly embroidered roman. I don’t dislike the fiddleback, I just find that often they are visually overwhelming. I don’t care for over decorated gothics either.

My tastes show in my home where rather than the plethora of pictures you always found in my parents’ home, my walls were completely bare for years until I was able to afford a few, meaningful, paintings.

It also explains why, unlike many people, I really like Le Corbusier’s Notre Dame du Haut chapel in Ronchamp.
 
corsair said:
In the TLM, there are those of us who prefer the Roman (fiddleback) over the Gothic. Having said that, I find that many Gothic chasubles are very beautiful.

But I really like Roman. There are also many varities of both Roman and Gothic chasubles.

Spanish, French, Italian, etc.😃

Try here for some pictures; paxhouse.com/vestments.html
Click to expand...
Thanks.
 
From a pure design standpoint, fiddlebacks look hideous in comparison. They remind me of a priest wearing a bulletproof vest or a big x-ray shield over their albs. I don’t think they are defensible from a purely aesthetic standpoint. But they are a part of history (although not an ancient design) and some people appreciate them for that reason.
 
Sorry but nothing can touch on the beauty of a well-made fiddleback. The colour, the well defined and clear cut lines… the “order” a fiddleback imposes. I love it all.

And don’t forget the brilliant white lace-alb overlaid the pitch black cassock to match!
 
Aeolian said:
From a pure design standpoint, fiddlebacks look hideous in comparison. They remind me of a priest wearing a bulletproof vest or a big x-ray shield over their albs. I don’t think they are defensible from a purely aesthetic standpoint. But they are a part of history (although not an ancient design) and some people appreciate them for that reason.
Click to expand...
actually ,you know, i think the Roman fiddlebacks actually are made to resemble aprons for sacrifical reasons. which , i guess has more thological relevance, but all chasubules usually have some sort of line from the priest’s neck to the end of the chasuble, marking the line of blood a severed head will make if cut from that point, a reference to the martyrdom of priests by beheading.
 
Personally, I don’t have a preference. Depends how each one is designed.
 
KaneKatholic said:
actually ,you know, i think the Roman fiddlebacks actually are made to resemble aprons for sacrifical reasons. which , i guess has more thological relevance, but all chasubules usually have some sort of line from the priest’s neck to the end of the chasuble, marking the line of blood a severed head will make if cut from that point, a reference to the martyrdom of priests by beheading.
Click to expand...
No. Vestments became heavier and heavier and in the process became hotter and hotter and more and more constricting so they began carving away at them.
 
Laudate_Dominum said:
It’s a good shape but it’s far too plain for a fiddleback. It’s in dire need of decoration. The alb needs to have some lace on it otherwise it just doesn’t work.
Click to expand...
I agree.

Anyways, I like both. But if I had to choose one, I’d choose the fiddleback. I think they sit better on the body usually, and the cross that is ordinarily on the back of them just doesn’t look right on a Gothic chasuble by comparison.

This is about as good of a Gothic-type that I can find:

tridentinum.com/components/com_virtuemart/shop_image/product/Casula_Ordelaffi_4d5baff85c6fd.jpg

This, on the other hand, by the same maker, is far superior to the Gothic above:

tridentinum.com/components/com_virtuemart/shop_image/product/Pianeta_romana_S_4d6626942e2f0.jpg

However, that is not to say that all Gothic chasubles are insufficient. This chasuble is one of the most beautiful I have every seen, if not the most:

wattsandco.com/sacred-vestments-1/chasubles/custom-made/chasuble-cm8785.html

Clearly, it’s for Gaudete Sunday and Laetaere Sunday only, but seeing that twice a year is enough to make some Catholics overjoyed.
 
there are two separate issues here:

The first is the cut of the vestment. In this area, I definitely prefer the gothic cut - ideally, floor-length (although that might not be a true gothic). I agree with the above posters that the fiddlebacks look far too much like a bulletproof vest/apron/x-ray protection.

The second issue is how elaborate the vestment is…fiddlebacks are traditionally more elaborate because they’re, well, traditional. But either vestment can be plain or ornate. I agree the latter is better.
 
Laudate_Dominum said:
It’s a good shape but it’s far too plain for a fiddleback. It’s in dire need of decoration. The alb needs to have some lace on it otherwise it just doesn’t work.
Click to expand...
That’s two strikes. I don’t like fiddlebacks (except from a historical standpoint) and I think lace has no place on men. I was watching Fr. Larry Richards on EWTN tout his book “BE A MAN” and one of the things that came to mind is “I bet Fr. Larry doesn’t wear those lingerie-like albs.” He might but I doubt it.
 
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