Last time in post #27 we toured Amiens Cathedral,
and today we finish up with…
Setting the Scene
From Wikipedia:
"One of the most distinctive features of Chartres Cathedral is the stained glass, both for its quantity and quality. There are 167 windows, including rose windows, round oculi, and tall, pointed lancet windows. The architecture of the cathedral, with its innovative combination of rib vaults and flying buttresses, permitted the construction of much higher and thinner walls, particularly at the top clerestory level, allowing more and larger windows. Also, Chartres contains fewer plain or grisaille windows than later cathedrals, and more windows with densely stained glass panels, making the interior of Chartres darker but the colour of the light deeper and richer.
Lancet Windows under the West Rose Window
XXPassion of ChristXXXXXXXLife of ChristXXXXXXXXGenealogy of Christ
The West Rose Window, c.1215
"The Last Judgment"
North Transept Rose Window, c.1235
Dedicated to the Virgin Mary
South Transept Rose Window, c.1225
Dedicated to Jesus Christ
"Good Samaritan Window"
Christ telling the Good Samaritan parable to the Pharisees
Window of the Vendôme Chapel
Chartres is, of course, a Roman Catholic cathedral, and all Christians are indebted for this opportunity to appreciate and be inspired by this pinnacle of ecclesiastical art.Chartres includes windows dedicated not just to Jesus and, unsurprisingly, to Mary, as shown above, but also to Sts. Anthony, Eustace, Joseph, Julian, Lubin and Nicholas. As an evangelical Christian myself, I find such veneration misguided and would have preferred instead exclusively Biblical themes and characters, like the Good Samaritan window, notwithstanding their undoubted contributions to the faith and to their brethren--along with billions of other believers since Abel, "saints" or "holy people" all.
Nevertheless, "everyone is a critic," and I include them here for ecumenical completeness' sake.
SAINTS' WINDOWS
Anthony and Paul
Eustace
Joseph
Julian the Hospitaller
Lubin
Nicholas
Again, here is the Bing page
"CHARTRES CATHEDRAL STAINED GLASS”,
showing various glassmakers’ conceptions.
Also, here are links to compendia of three masters
who painted Biblical scenes prolifically:
REMBRANT van RIJN
GUSTAV DORÉ
(241 wood engravings for
La Grande Bible de Tours)
JAMES TISSOT
Finally, here are links to the
PREVIOUS 27 POSTS IN THIS SERIES
SPECIAL THANKS
to FReeper left that other site,
who allowed God to make her His conduit
for incomparable enthusiasm, encouragement,
education, advice and technical assistance!
SNEAK PEEK: Next time, REJOICING IN SONG!
