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IMG 4958

IMG 4958

† Window 145 - North rose: Rose of France glorifying the Virgin (restored)

Virgin in center with Infant Jesus. Surrounded by four doves, four angels, and four Thrones. These are followed by twelve kings of Judah, Mary's ancestors. The outer ring contains twelve minor prophets.

The window was donated while Queen Blanche was regent of France (circa 1230). The arms of France alternating with Castile are seen below the rose itself. The entire ensemble is a none-too-subtle bit of royal propaganda, with Mary (the Queen of Heaven) at the center of it all. Note too that the figures below the rose in the lancets contrast a legitimate righteous sovereign with corrupt, foolish, or fallen ones. Blanche seems to have wanted no doubt about how she ought to be considered.

Album: Chartres-Cathedral

Categories: Chartres-Cathedral

Tags: #Blanche of Castille #Chartres #france #Jesus Christ #Mary #Mary enthroned in glory #TCS-photo #Win145 #angels #cathedral #Detail #donors identified #doves #kings of Judah #minor prophets #north side #restored #rose window #stained glass #thrones

Chartres West Exterior Slides 059

Chartres West Exterior Slides 059

Chartres, west side, left door

• Tympanum - Christ ascending into heaven. Angels lean down to ask the apostles "Ye men of Gallilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven?"
• Archivolts - zodiac alternating with the tasks for each month

† First - INNER (left around to right)
• April with tree blossoming, Aries
• May with falconer and horse, Taurus,
• June with mowing hay,

[peak of arch]

• March with pruning vines,
• Aquarius [mostly broken], February with warming self before fire,
• Capricorn, January with two faces.

† OUTER (left around to right)
• July with wheat cutting, Cancer,
• August with wheat threshing, Leo,
• September with treading grapes [not seen here], Virgo [not seen here]
[peak of arch]
• Sagittarius, December with feasting [can just see the feast table],
• Scorpio, November with pig slaughter,
• Libra, October with pruning fruit trees?

Album: Chartres-Cathedral

Categories: Chartres-Cathedral

Tags: #Ascension #Chartres #france #Jesus Christ #TCS-photo #apostles #Archivolt #cathedral #date estimate #exterior #Left #west side

P1020585

P1020585

original (4295078083)

Window 038 - Charlemagne (restored)

Bottom to top, left to right:

[Conquest of Jerusalem]

• Row 04: Charlemagne defeats Saracens; Charlemange refuses all reward save relics he has found.
• Circle 05: Charlemagne gives relics to the Church.

[Spanish Crusades - from Chronicle of Pseudo-Turpin]

• Row 06: Charlemagne asks learned about Milky Way; Saint James the Major appears to Charlemagne in a dream, tells him to follow the Milky Way to Spain.
• Diamond 07: Army leaves on the Spanish Crusade, Archbishop Turpin of Rheims attends with Charlemagne.
• Row 08: Charlemagne prays prior to assaulting Pampulauna (Pamplona); Charlemagne takes the city from Moors.
• Circle 09: Charlemagne builds a church to Saint James, who instigated the crusade.
• Row 10: Crusaders battle Moors; Miracle of the Flowering Lances: the night prior to battle, those fated to die had flowers appear on their lances, proof of their blessed state as future martyrs.
• Diamond 11: Roland battles King Marsile of the Saracens [some sources say batles giant Ferragus/Ferracutus, but the armor does not match].
• Row 12: Rolland kills giant Ferragus/Ferracutus; Ganelon urges Charlemagne to return home to France.
• Circle 13: Rolland tries to break his sword Durendal, then strives to blow the oliphant (horn) to summon Charlemagne (Rolland is represented twice in the scene).
• Row 14: Baudouin cannot find water for the dying Rolland; Baudouin tells Charlemagne of Rolland's death.

[Mass of St Giles--most of the story is found in Window 022.]

• Diamond 15: Saint Giles celebrates mass, and angel delivers a scroll with Charlemagne's unconfessed sins upon it.
• Row/Corners 16: Angels with censers.

Album: Chartres-Cathedral

Categories: Chartres-Cathedral

Tags: #Baudouin #Charlemagne #Chartres #Constantine #Constantine's Conquest of Jerusalem #Durendal #Ferracutus #Ferragus #france #King Marsile #Pamplona #Pampulauna #Roland #Saint Giles #Saint James Major #Spanish Crusade #TCS-photo #Win038 #astronomy #cathedral #censers #confession #horn #interior #martyrs #miracles #oliphant #relics #restored #sin #stained glass

IMG 5338

IMG 5338

original (4295076103)

Window 006 - Good Samaritan (restored)

Bottom to top, left to right. Circles start at 6 o'clock, proceed left to right:
• Panels 1,2,3: Cobblers, the donors of the window
-
• Quadrant 4: Jesus tells a parable.
• Quadrant 5: Man leaves Jerusalem for Jericho
• Center 6, quadrant 7: Thieves leap out to attack and rob him
• Quadrant 8: Priest and levite pass by without helping.
-
• Panels 9,10,11: Samaritan binds his wounds, places the man on his donkey, and takes him to a waiting inn-keeper.
-
• 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.
-
• 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.

Album: Chartres-Cathedral

Categories: Chartres-Cathedral

Tags: #Abel #Adam #Cain #Chanelle's Camera #Chartres #Eve #Fall of Man #france #Garden of Eden #Good Samaritan #TCS-photo #Win006 #cathedral #cherubim #creation of Adam #creation of Eve #donors identified #fig leaf #interior #parable #restored #serpent #stained glass #tree of knowledge of good and evil #types of Christ #whole-windows

Chartres West Exterior Slides 093

Chartres West Exterior Slides 093

Chartres, north side, center portal

JAMB FIGURES

Left:
• Elisha (Far left) - Shumanite woman beneath.
• Melchizedek - wearing crown, with bread and wine (which he gave Abraham; prefigures the Eucharist). Lamb beneath.
• Abraham - looks up at angel halting the sacrifice of Isaac. Ram beneath.
• Moses - with brazen serpent on the pole, symbol of Christ's crucifixion. Golden calf beneath.
• Samuel - sacrifices a lamb.
• King David - carries instruments of the Passion, which his Psalm 22 foretold. Beneath lion of Judah.

Album: Chartres-Cathedral

Categories: Chartres-Cathedral

Tags: #Abraham #Chartres #france #Isaac #Jamb figures #King David #Melchizedek #Moses #Samuel #TCS-photo #cathedral #Center #date estimate #exterior #north side