The Bible In Paintings, #28: STAINED GLASS INTERLUDE, Part 2: CHARTRES

Bing Images ^

[Hebrews 11:6]

COMPLETING OUR STAINED GLASS TOUR
Last time in post #27 we toured Amiens Cathedral,
and today we finish up with…

CHARTRES CATHEDRAL
Setting the Scene

This Wikipedia entry on Chartres is quite informative.

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.

12TH CENTURY WINDOWS

Lancet Windows under the West Rose Window
XXPassion of ChristXXXXXXXLife of ChristXXXXXXXXGenealogy of Christ

XXXXX The Blue VirginXXXXXXXXXXXXXDetail from The Blue Virgin

ROSE WINDOWS

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

AISLE, CHOIR & CHAPEL WINDOWS

"Good Samaritan Window"

Christ telling the Good Samaritan parable to the Pharisees

Window of the Vendôme Chapel

NOTE TO ROMAN CATHOLICS

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

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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

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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!

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SNEAK PEEK: Next time,

REJOICING IN SONG!

[Hebrews 11:6]

At the Holy Spirit's prompting, I am surveying "Bible art" for my own amusement and learning, and I thought others might enjoy it, too. My intent is to proceed methodically left-to right, Genesis to Revelation, as the Lord wills. Back soon with another.

The Bible encourages us to meditate on it (Ps. 1:1-3, 119:11-16, etc.); these artists have done so, and their works can assist us and enrich our own thoughts about biblical characters, incidents and concepts, and increase our faith in He who is behind it all. As you encounter and consider these images and the related Scriptures and the Spirit enlightens your understanding, please share it with us!

But it is not only oil-on-canvas that can so help us; I refer to the astonishing video series The Chosen, which strolls through the four Gospels at the most leisurely pace. The eight episodes of Season 1 are finished, and the second of a planned seven seasons is coming soon. I say "leisurely" because after an entire year’s viewing Jesus still has only seven of the apostles (although He's preparing to call up Thomas from the minor leagues--but Thomas is skeptical, of course). Anticipating a canvas of fifty-plus hours instead of a movie's paltry two hours, The Chosen turns the characters (especially including Jesus!) into three-dimensional humans and brings the Gospels alive--you have never seen anything even remotely like it! Here is the Official Trailer.

Here is a link for free viewing of The Chosen: “Works with your phone, tablet, and you can cast to your Roku or Chromecast.” Last fall I paid $34.98 for DVDs and ongoing internet access—best 35 bucks I’ve ever spent (I don’t recall how much our marriage license cost, but then it was 42 years ago).

[Hebrews 11:6]

Ping List for the series
"THE BIBLE IN PAINTINGS"

To receive an alert for each new posting
in this series, either reply here or FRmail me.

[Campion]

Chartres is just a treasure. In the basement are frescoes that are 1000 years old, and a well that was thought to have healing powers in the Middle Ages because the bishop and some of his priests were thrown into it by marauding Vikings.

[Hebrews 11:6]

Don’t forget John the Baptist’s head!

[TheConservativeParty]

Thank you! 🙂

[Hebrews 11:6]

Always happy that you’re seeing it.

[left that other site]

Lovely! :-)

[Hebrews 11:6]

Told ya.

[left that other site]

I hope security is being enhanced for that beautiful place.

[Hebrews 11:6]

It’s France, Jake.

[left that other site]

Yep.

But churches are being defaced and burned in the City of my birth as well:

https://duckduckgo.com/?q=church+vandalsm+dorchester+ma&t=ffsb&ia=places

[Hebrews 11:6]

Satan and his hordes are never idle, nor are their adherents.

[left that other site]

Indeed.

[Hebrews 11:6]

It’s Dorchester, Jake.

[Hebrews 11:6]

It’s Dorchester, Mary-Lou.

[left that other site]

It’s pronounced DOOWA-chess-TAH, Dan! LOL! :-)

[Hebrews 11:6]

Not by me!

[left that other site]

Nope. Ya gotta be a NATIVE to talk like that.

[Hebrews 11:6]

Or to want to. It is by far the ugliest-to-my-ear English accent I've ever heard, rivaled only by the Noo Yawk Jewish voizhion.

[left that other site]

Sorry. I’ve had 11 YEARS of Vocal Training, and can’t shake it. So, to quote Paul, “By the grace of God I am what I am.”

But luckily, I don’t type with it.