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Chartres Cathedral Medieval Stained Glass Windows

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At last a book of brilliant close up photos of story panels from the medieval stained glass windows of Chartres.  Commentary in French but 95% of the space is pictures! (c23x23cm).  The cover illustration shows a medieval seduction from the lower middle panel of the Joseph window.

This pocket sized guide (in English) to Chartres Cathedral is the best detailed guide we have come across.  It covers almost every window scene and individual statue inside and outside the cathedral, even including archivolt cycles.

THE BLUE VIRGIN (14)

The famous "Blue Virgin" window, now in the south ambulatory, was one of the four windows rescued from the old cathedral after the disastrous fire of 1194 (the other three are in the west facade).  Here the early sun and shadows have a dramatic highlighting impact.

THE WEST END WINDOWS

West Rose

Along with the Blue Virgin window, the three west facade windows predate the great fire of 1194. 

They illustrate the Passion (left), the Incarnation (centre) and the Tree of Jesse (right).

Passion, Incarnation, Tree of Jesse

Link to photos of the Passion Window (3)

The Incarnation Window (1100s) detail left to right from bottom:  Annunciation, Visitation, Nativity, Angels appear to Shepherds, Herod meets the Magi (2 panels), Adoration of the Magi, departure of Magi and the dream of the magi (on the next row, not shown here). 

THE INCARNATION WINDOW - CENTRAL LANCET WINDOW - WEST FACADE

Tree of Jesse Window - West end, right lancet window

Zodiac / Labours of the Month Window (south ambulatory)

February man warms his feet in the Zodiac window, first half of the 1200s, which shows all the signs of the zodiac and the typical activity at that time of year.  In addition to this there are two sculptured Zodiac / Labours of the Month cycles - one in the West Porch, the other in the North Porch. The Vine Growers' Guild was one of the window's donors.

THE ZODIAC WINDOW (17)

LINK TO PHOTOS OF THE CHARTRES ZODIAC / LABOURS OF THE MONTH WINDOW

THE NORTH ROSE

Maximum Nikon Grunt gave us this photo of King David sitting on top of a circle of 12 Kings of Judah, assorted minor prophets and angels, all centred on their relative, the Virgin Mary and her Child.  And that's just the Rose part of the 1230s North Rose - underneath it are 5 huge lancet windows also dating from 1230ish. The windows were given to the Cathedral in 1230 by Queen Blanche of Castile (grand-daughter of Eleanor of Aquitaine, and Queen Consort of French King Louis VIII "The Lion" and subduer of Cathars).

LINK TO MORE PHOTOS OF THE NORTH ROSE ENSEMBLE

STORY OF SAINT THOMAS BECKET (25) - PHOTOS OF ALL THE SCENES IN THE CHARTRES BECKET WINDOW

This is the top frame of the window, first half of the 1200s, showing the murder of Saint Thomas Becket, Archbishop of Canteerbury, in Canterbury Cathedral on 29 December 1170.  Images of Becket, his troubled relationship with Plantagenet King Henry II, and his murder spread rapidly across Europe in the 1200s on reliquary caskets, wall paintings and stained glass. This window was donated by the Tanners' Guild.

STORIES OF CHARLEMAGNE (38) - LINK TO MORE PHOTOS

The Charlemagne window and the St-James window next to it date from the 1200s and  are amongst the most beautiful in a church packed with beautiful windows, particularly because of the quality of the blue colouring.

At the base - the Charlemagne Window was donated by the Furriers

Charlemagne Window - the most beautiful blues of them all

St-James Window - second in the blue stakes to Charlemagne

The Furriers and Drapers Guild, Donors of the St-James Window

STORIES OF SAINT JAMES THE GREATER (37)

The frames above and below are at the bottom of the Saint James' window, and are messages from and about the window's donors - the furriers and drapers guild.

STORY OF JOSEPH (61)

This is the first of the four sections of the Joseph window (below left) - 1200s.  The two semi-circular base panels illustrate the window's donors - the Bankers' Guild.

Joseph Window

Good Samaritan Window

Lower middle panel of the Joseph window

In this case the donors are the Shoemakers' Guild

STORY OF THE GOOD SAMARITAN (6)

Scenes in the story of the Good Samaritan - 1200s.  After this lower panel the window moves on to Adam and Eve.  The whole window, which was donated by the Shoemakers' Guild (illustrated in the bottom three frames), is shown above above right.

 Les vitraux legendaires de Chartres: Des recits en images

This pocket sized guide to Chartres Cathedral (in English) is the best detailed guide we have come across.  It details almost every window scene and individual statue inside and outside the cathedral, even including archivolt cycles.

The book on the left is the reference work for the stained glass of Chartres.  Photos, layout plans and descriptive narrative (in French) for all the Chartres windows worth talking about!

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All original material © Adrian Fletcher 2000-2013 - The contents may not be hotlinked, or reproduced without permission.