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 west side, right portal, right hand side, tympanum: nfant Jesus enthroned on Mary's lap flanked by two angels
Album: Chartres-Cathedral
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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, south side, left.
TYMPANUM
Christ crowned between two angels. (He is the supreme or ultimate martyr.)
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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, north side, center portal, light illumination
TYMPANUM
• Mary crowned in glory beside Christ, with angels.
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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, right
TYMPANUM
Christ (note the cruciform nimbus behind his head) flanked by two angels.
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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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