LDS Scripture Commentary / Photos: Chartres Cathedral
Window 009 - Miracles of the Virgin
Bottom to top, left to right.
• Corners 1: Butchers, donors of the window [13th century]
• Quatrefoil 2: Mary (12 o'clock), with stonecutting and hauling for cathedral (3 and 9 o'clock), Chartres cathedral south tower (center), wine for workers (6 o'clock) [13th century]
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Window 062 - Saint Eustace (restored)
Bottom to top, left to right:
†Central Diamond 1: Placidas hunts a stag.
• Row 1: Part of the hunt.
• Row 2: Part of the hunt.
• Row 3 (two circles): Sees crucifix between stag's antlers; Placidus chooses to be baptized a Christian, and receives the name Eustace.
• Row 4: Drapers, as donors.
• Row 5: Furriers, as donors.
† Central Diamond 2: Eustace leaves city with wife and children.
• Row 6 (two circles): Negociates for passage on ship and sails to Egypt (2 panels).
† Central Diamond 3: Eustace and children driven from the boat, while boat captain retains his wife [story continues in row 9].
• Row 7: Eustace's two sons meet and recognize each other; Eustace converses with the emperor's messengers and they realize he is Placidas whom they have been sent to find [story continues row 10].
• Row 8: Emperor Trajan sends for Placidas (now Eustace); The messengers lodge with Eustace without recognizing him [story continues in row 11, right].
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Chartres, north side, right portal. These are OT types or prefigurements of Christ.
TYMPANUM
• Job, scrapes self with potshard on dunghill while the satan torments him, three friends and wife. God watches from above.
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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.
• Window 095D - South side, near right lancet: Saint John on Ezekiel, beneath is arms of donor Pierre Mauclerc and his son.
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Window 105 - Clerestory, west end of south choir, lancet: Nativity, Flight into Egypt.
All borders in the choir are modern.
Donor, Colinus de camera regis playing chess with another man.
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Chartres, north side, left portal
TYMPANUM
• Adoration of the Magi and then warned not to return to Herod.
LINTEL:
• Left: Nativity
INNER ARCH
• First archivolt: ten angels, lowest two on dragons, the rest on clouds
• Second archivolt: four foolish virgins on left, four foolish on the right
• Third archivolt: bottom on each side contain the other two virgins for a total of ten.
• Third, continued: The four cardinal virtues and equivalent sins are on the left:
† Prudence (open book) with Folly underneath (woman eating a pebble);
† Justice (scales) with Injustice (falsify scales);
• Fourth archivolt: Twelve queens bearing scrolls that at one time bore their names; these are the fruits of the spirit as per Galatians 5:22-23.
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Window 037 - Saint James Major (restored, detail)
Bottom to top, left to right (some rows have the story proceed RIGHT to left; marked '!' where this occurs:
• Row 17: James and Josias taken to be executed.
• Row 18: James and Josias are beheaded.
• Row 19: Christ on cloud with candelabra.
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Chartres, North side, right portal
INNER ARCH
• Second archivolt: lives of Sampson on the left
Left:
† Samson finds honey in lion's mouth;
† Samson carries off the gates of Gaza.
Third archivolt: life of Esther (prefiguring Mary)
† Esther kneels before the king (note parallels with Judith, opposite);
† Mordecai sends messenger with new degree permitting the Jews to defend themselves if attacked.
• Fourth archivolt: Tobias, son of Tobit, who restored vision to his father as Christ would to Israel.
Left:
† Tobit speaks with his wife;
† Tobit sends son with letter to Gabelus;
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Chartres, north side, center portal
JAMB FIGURES
Left:
• Samuel - sacrifices a lamb.
• King David - carries instruments of the Passion, which his Psalm 22 foretold. Beneath lion of Judah.
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