LDS Scripture Commentary / Photos: Chartres Cathedral
Chartres, north side, center portal
INNER ARCH
• Eighth archivolt: Creation and Fall [bottom to top]
Note cruciform nimbus, identifying creator as Christ.
(11) Four rivers out of Eden
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Chartres, north side, center portal
INNER ARCH
• Eighth archivolt: Creation and Fall [bottom to top]
(1) Creation of heaven and earth (note "pillars of the earth undernearth"?);
Note cruciform nimbus, identifying creator as Christ.
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INNER ARCH
• Eighth archivolt: Creation and Fall [bottom to top]
(6) Creation of birds and fish. To the left, Adam is in God's mind [detail].
Note cruciform nimbus, identifying creator as Christ.
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Chartres, north side, center portal
INNER ARCH
• Eighth archivolt: Creation and Fall [bottom to top]
Note cruciform nimbus, identifying creator as Christ.
(18) Adam delves; Eve spins while God blesses their work;
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• Eighth archivolt: Creation and Fall [bottom to top]
Note cruciform nimbus, identifying creator as Christ.
(7) Creation of animals.
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Window 006 - Good Samaritan
Bottom to top, left to right. Circles start at 6 o'clock, proceed left to right:
• Quadrant 16: God forbids the tree of knowledge of Good and Evil. Note the red serpent already coiled about the trunk.
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• Panel 17: They sit under the tree (a first step toward sin, perhaps?).
• Panel 18: Satan tempts them and they eat. Note the dark, ominous red background which echoes the serpent from Quadrant 16, and contrasts with the refreshing blue of the previous.
• Panel 19: God calls to them, but they hide and make fig-leaf aprons.
• Quadrant 20: Cherubim drives them from the garden and tree of life.
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Window 059 - Symbolic Window, Typology of the Passion of Christ (restored)
NB: Read TOP to BOTTOM, unlike most windows. Some are modern (marked *).
• Row 12: (Bottom row): Blacksmiths as donors.
• Row 11: Samson carries gates of Gaza; Christ's body being annointed; David slays lion to protect sheep [some argue for Samson slaying lion, but sheep make me think likely David. On the other hand, the other side panels are often of the same characters, so I suppose a repeat of Sampson would fit that pattern. - GLS]
• Row 10: Elijah raises son of widow of Sareptha; Jacob blesses Ephraim and Manasseh; Elijah meets widow of Sareptha.
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Window 006 - Good Samaritan (restored)
Bottom to top, left to right. Circles start at 6 o'clock, proceed left to right:
• Panels 9,10,11: Samaritan binds his wounds, places the man on his donkey, and takes him to a waiting inn-keeper.
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• Quadrant 12: Samaritan cares for wounded man at the inn.
• Quadrant 13: God creates man, (breathing into Adam the breath of life?).
• Center 14: Adam in paradise.
• Quadrant 15: God makes woman from rib ('tsela') as Adam sleeps. The appearance of the legs matching both Adam and Eve is a beautiful bit of work, rich with symbolism.
• Quadrant 16: God forbids the tree of knowledge of Good and Evil. Note the red serpent already coiled about the trunk.
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• Panel 17: They sit under the tree (a first step toward sin, perhaps?).
• Panel 18: Satan tempts them and they eat. Note the dark, ominous red background which echoes the serpent from Quadrant 16, and contrasts with the refreshing blue of the previous.
• Panel 19: God calls to them, but they hide and make fig-leaf aprons.
• Quadrant 20: Cherubim drives them from the garden and tree of life.
• Quadrant 21: Adam digs while Eve spins with a distaff.
• Center 22: God/Christ judges their sin but also promises redemption. {? makes covenant with them)
• Quadrant 23: Cain takes an axe to Abel's head; the first murder. Abel's name can be made out in text below the panel. Like Abel--and the man in the parable--we have fallen victim to a fallen world, and lie wounded and bleeding.
• Quadrant 24: Christ sits to redeem and judge, surrounded by angels. Reminds us that he is the ultimate figure to whom the parable of the Samaritan points.
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