LDS Scripture Commentary / Photos: Chartres Cathedral
Chartres, North side, right portal
INNER ARCH
• Second archivolt: life of Gideon
† Gideon wrings water from fleece;
Third archivolt: life of Judith (prefiguring Mary)
† Leaves town with servant;
• Fourth archivolt: Tobias, son of Tobit, who restored vision to his father as Christ would to Israel (continued from left half of arch).
† Tobias marries Sarah, and they pray in bedroom on wedding night;
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Chartres, west side, left door, archivolt.
• First archivolt (inner): Aries, May with falconer and horse, Taurus.
• Second archivolt (outer): Cancer, August with wheat threshing, Leo.
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Chartres, south side, right--"Bay of the Confessors"
ARCHIVOLT - angels and kings
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†South side, lancets, left to right: demonstrates the OT as the foundation for the NT witness of Christ
• Window 095A - South side, central lancet: Mary with Infant Christ, beneath is arms of donor Dreux-Brittany.
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Window 060 - Saint Nicholas (third window about him) (restored)
Order is not regular; numbered by panel (see diagram).
• 8: Nicholas refuses to suckle his mother except Mondays and Fridays.
• 9: Nicholas in school.
• 10-11: When a student in Myra, he drops money into a house to spare three girls without doweries from entering prostitution. He flees rather than be thanked.
(Side half-moons):
• 14-15: Nicholas convinces sailors to provide a famine-stricken down with corn.
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South porch, central portal. Christ in center, standing on lion and dragon (2 of the 4 animals in Psalm 92; Amiens has the other two--asp and basilisk--underneath).
Apostles (L -> R)
Left side
• Unknown apostle
• Unknown apostle
• Unknown apostle
• Unknown apostle
• St. Peter (immediately to Christ's right as head of the Church and holder of the keys of the kingdom). Beneath: Simon the Magician with large purse.
• St. Andrew - bears cross, instrument of his martyrdom
Right side
• Paul (note the omnipresent baldness) with sword, instrument of his beheading.
• St. John (no beard, young, dressed as priest; has book in left hand and broken palm--symbol of chastity--in the right.) Stands on a man offering cup of serpents, cf miracle he performed.
• St. James the Greater (of Peter, James, and John). Has belt of shells--the "coquilles St. Jacques" [scallops] were his symbol and often worn by pilgrims.
• St James the Less
• St. Bartholomew (broken flaying knife; instrument of his martyrdom).
Many apostles stand on crowned figures representing the Roman Emperors who caused their demise.
Beneath Christ:
• A man giving bread to the poor, which is essentially offering it to Christ
• Beneath him, a man and wife offering bread to a beggar; likely the donors Pierre Mauclerc, Count of Dreux, and spouse Alix of Brittany.
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Window 045 - St Julien the Hospitaller (restored)
• Row 10: Julien cannot sleep; he leaves the battle field and goes home.
• Row 11: Julien arrives home unnoticed; thinking his wife has betrayed him, he unwittingly slays his parents.
• Row 12: Julien's wife tells him of his mistake.
• Row 13: Funeral of parents; Julien views his bloody handiwork.
• Row 14: Julien and wife become pilgrims (to expiate his sin?).
• Row 15: Crossing via ferry; Building pilgrim hostel.
• Row 16: Welcoming pilgrims; washing pilgrims' feet.
• Row 17: Crossing via ferry; Building pilgrim hostel.
• Row 18: Christ approaches river in disguise.
• Row 19: Unaware, Julien rows Christ across the river; his wife holds up lantern on the bank to guide them.
• Row 20: Julien and his wife die and their souls go to heaven.
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Chartres, North side, right portal
INNER ARCH
• Fourth archivolt: Tobias, son of Tobit, who restored vision to his father as Christ would to Israel.
Left:
† Tobit speaks with his wife;
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Detail of lion and dragon under Christ's feet (2 of the 4 animals in Psalm 92; Amiens has the other two--asp and basilisk--underneath).
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