The document provides background information on the origins of the Gothic novel genre. It discusses how the term "Gothic" originated as an insult for medieval architecture during the Renaissance due to its focus on verticality, pointed arches, and ornate sculptures. Gothic architecture also featured flying buttresses, vaulted ceilings with stained glass windows and grotesque gargoyles. Gothic art developed from architecture and included illuminated manuscripts and paintings with religious themes. Hieronymus Bosch was known for his gruesome and frightening depictions of sin and morality in his paintings. These dark elements of Gothic architecture and art help explain why they influenced later Gothic novels.