The Flamboyant Gothic style features window tracery resembling flames. Its name comes from the flowing, flame-like curves formed by the stone bars in elaborate Gothic windows.
The style emerged in France during the late 14th century and became especially prominent in the 15th and early 16th centuries. Flamboyant tracery often uses S-shaped and double-curved lines, creating an impression of movement rather than the more geometric patterns of earlier Gothic work.
These designs were not limited to windows. Builders also used rich tracery, ornate ribs, pointed gables, and ogee arches across façades, porches, balustrades, and vaults. Notable examples include Saint-Maclou in Rouen, the west rose of Sainte-Chapelle, and parts of Chartres Cathedral.
A common mix-up is to treat “Flamboyant” as a general synonym for all highly decorated Gothic architecture. It is more specifically a late Gothic style identified above all by its curving, flame-like tracery. In England, the broadly contemporary Perpendicular style was more influential.