LDS Scripture Commentary / Photos: Chartres Cathedral
Chartres, north side, center portal
TYMPANUM
• Mary crowned in glory beside Christ, with angels.
LINTEL
• The Dormition and Assumption of Mary. On the left, the apostles surround her bier; Christ receives her into heaven. On the right, angels bear her body to heaven.
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Chartres, north side, center portal
TYMPANUM
• Mary crowned in glory beside Christ, with angels.
LINTEL
• The Dormition and Assumption of Mary. On the left, the apostles surround her bier; Christ receives her into heaven. On the right, angels bear her body to heaven.
JAMB FIGURES
Left:
• Elisha (Far left) - Shumanite woman beneath. [not visible here]
• 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.
• Center Figure: Saint Anne with Mary, Joachim with flocks underneath.
Right:
• Isaiah - hold flowering stem, the "rod out of Jesse." Jessee beneath.
• Jeremiah - with Greek cross
• Simeon - testified of Christ at the Presentation at the Temple, holds the infant Christ.
• John the Baptist - note coat of camel hair, and he points to the lamb of God. Dragon beneath.
• Peter - dressed as pope, the continuity with Melchizedek, his opposite on the left. He stands on the rock.
• Elijah (Far Right) - on his chariot of fire. Beneath Elisha. [not visible here]
INNER ARCH
• First archivolt: twelve angels
• Second archivolt: Prophets
• Third archivolt: Jesse Tree
• Fourth archivolt: Jesse Tree continues
• Fifth archivolt: Prophets
• Sixth and seventh archivolts: 44 seated figures with scrolls and books
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Chartres west side, central portal, tympanum
• Christ in glory sits in the center, surrounded by symbols of the four gospel authors (evangelists):
• Matthew - winged man
• Mark - winged lion
• Luke - winged ox or bull
• John - eagle
• In the lintel beneath, the twelve apostles are in four groups of three.
• To their immediate left stands Elijah; to their right stands Enoch.
• The first archivolt: twelve angels.
• The second and third archivolts: twenty-four elders of the apocalypse (see Revelation 4:4).
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Chartres, north side, center portal
TYMPANUM
• Mary crowned in glory beside Christ, with angels.
LINTEL
• The Dormition and Assumption of Mary. On the left, the apostles surround her bier; Christ receives her into heaven. On the right, angels bear her body to heaven.
JAMB FIGURES
Left:
• 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.
• Center Figure: Saint Anne with Mary, Joachim with flocks underneath.
Right:
• Isaiah - hold flowering stem, the "rod out of Jesse." Jessee beneath.
• Jeremiah - with Greek cross
• Simeon - testified of Christ at the Presentation at the Temple, holds the infant Christ.
• John the Baptist - note coat of camel hair, and he points to the lamb of God. Dragon beneath.
• Peter - dressed as pope, the continuity with Melchizedek, his opposite on the left. He stands on the rock.
INNER ARCH
• First archivolt: twelve angels
• Second archivolt: Prophets
• Third archivolt: Jesse Tree
• Fourth archivolt: Jesse Tree continues
• Fifth archivolt: Prophets
• Sixth and seventh archivolts: 44 seated figures with scrolls and books
• Eighth archivolt: Creation and Fall.
GABLE
• God is seated, blessing the world.
PILLARS
• Figures hard to identify. Some see as donors; others as OT prophets.
• Pillar bases: RIGHT: (a) Samuel brought to Eli by parents; (b) Samuel serves God; (c) God appears to Samuel in sleep; (d) Ark is taken, Hophni and Phinehas are slain; (e) Ark brought into Philistine temple to Dagon, causes the idol to fall; (f) Ark sent back by cart drawn by two bulls.
• Pillar bases: LEFT: (a) David as shepherd; (b) Plays harp
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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
• Right: Angel appears to shepherds.
JAMB FIGURES
• Left: Isaiah (prophet of Christ's coming, now headless), and then Annunciation (Gabriel treading on devil; Mary treading on serpent).
• Right Daniel (another prophet of Christ's coming, outermost) with the Visitation nearer the door (Mary on a burning bush, symbol of the Immaculate Conception and Elizabeth in the middle).
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);
† Strength (mail coat)
† Temperence (dove) with Intemperence (uncovering the breast)
• Third, continued: On the right are the three theological virtues and equivalent sins:
† Faith (chalice receiving blood of the Lamb) with Infidelity (eyes bandaged);
† Hope (looks to heaven) with Despair (stabs self);
† Charity (clothes beggar) with Avarice (hoarding gold).
• To provide balance, a fourth virtue is added:
† Humility (dove) with Pride (falling headlong)
• 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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Chartres west side, central portal, tympanum
• Christ in glory sits in the center, surrounded by symbols of the four gospel authors (evangelists):
• Matthew - winged man
• Mark - winged lion
• Luke - winged ox or bull
• John - eagle
• In the lintel beneath, the twelve apostles are in four groups of three.
• To their immediate left stands Elijah; to their right stands Enoch.
• The first archivolt: twelve angels.
• The second and third archivolts: twenty-four elders of the apocalypse (see Revelation 4:4).
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Chartres, south side, left
ARCHIVOLTS - RIGHT SIDE
Bottom row of the archivolt is the aftermath of Saint Stephen's martyrdom, where Sault (later Saint Paul) holds the cloaks of his murderers. The stoning occurs at the right side of the lintel, in the far left of this image.
• First (inner) archivolt - eight children, the Holy Innocents killed by Herod the Great at Bethlehem.
• Second - Six seated figures catch two streams of blood from a ram's head at the apex of the arch. (Refers to Revelation XXX).
• Third - Eight martyrs hold palms
• Fourth - Ten kings and bishops
• Fifth - Hierarchy of martyrs in twelve statues: levite, deacon, priest, abbot, bishop, with an emperor and pope paired at the top (to show their equality).
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Chartres, north side, left portal
TYMPANUM
• Adoration of the Magi and then warned not to return to Herod.
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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
• Right: Angel appears to shepherds.
ARCH
• First archivolt: ten angels, lowest two on dragons, the rest on clouds
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Chartres west side, right portal
LINTEL
• Below: presentation at the temple
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