Stained glass Stainglass is considered one of the most important characteristics of a Gothic cathedral. As its popularity grew, especially in the mid-12th century, the existence of stained glass helped bring about a major change in the way the general public learned about religion.
The image on the window becomes a representation of the illuminated sermon of the biblical story, which may be more powerful than the words of the pastor.
This article will focus mainly on stained-glass windows and the architectural styles used in 5 Gothic buildings in France, each with its own unique and distinctive characteristics related to the development of stained-glass windows. Looking at the architectural advances shown in these structures built during the Gothic period, the Gothic period is not the only place where the Gothic period can be seen. We can see the effect of the widespread demand. This affects the height of the windows and the increased light inside the building of the Gothic cathedral.
The term rose window was coined around the 17th century because of the way the window is built in a round shape with a layer of diffusers, making it resemble rose petals. The main difference between the two is that rose windows often have a more complex design than roller windows.
In the mid-12th century, Abbot Suger of Saint Denis was called the "Father of Stained Glass" because he was the one who first came up with the idea of using stained-glass windows to create "heavenly light", which was seen as the presence of God in the church.
Souger oversaw the construction of the Abbey Church of Saint-Denis and while trying to redesign the church entirely. He found inspiration in several texts he read by Saint Paul's followers named Dionysius (the Greek form of Denis), which considered the light to be projected as a physical manifestation of God. The Abbey Church of Saint Denis became the prototype of this new type of architecture, based on its light, openness and progressively higher spaces, which later developed further to the point of being known as the Rayonnant style.
In addition to being seen as a divine light, the Gothic windows and sculptures are also referred to as part of the "Poor Man's Bible" due to the fact that another purpose of the window is to teach biblical stories to the illiterate.
Abbey church of Saint-Denis origin: https://www.jeanne-darc.info/location/abbey-church-of-saint-denis/
A common biblical story that appears in the medieval window is the "Tree of Jesse," a genealogy or family tree that symbolizes Christ's ancestors. Stained-glass windows depicting Jesse's tree can be seen at Sainte-Chapelle, Chartres Cathedral and Notre Dame Cathedral, among other places in the book of Isaiah. The "roots of Jesse" referred to were David's reign in the Apocalypse. Therefore, the lineage of kings is explained, starting with Jesse, who was the father of King David. It proceeds through King Solomon (son of David) and eventually up to the Virgin Mary, which is often depicted directly under the body of Jesus, or the image of Him as a virgin and child at the top of a tree.
The oldest Jesse Tree window is at Chartres Cathedral, where Jesse Encore is at the bottom of the picture, with a tree trunk sticking out from his side and leading to Christ, which is larger than the others, and seated at the top with seven people. He was surrounded by doves, representing the seven gifts of the Holy Ghost. There are also seven prophets holding scrolls of paper standing along each side of the tree, representing the prophets who predicted the coming of Christ (Sacred Destination, Chartres Jesse Window). The window also shows the use of symbolic and sacred numbers seven and multiples, which seem to be a common element in stained-glass window designs.
Tree of Jesse Window, Chartres Cathedral, France, 1145
Sainte-Chapelle, Chartres Cathedral origin: https://www.travelcaffeine.com/sainte-chapelle-paris-france-tips/
The idea of adding lighting to the church also led to many other architectural advances within the Gothic cathedral. One of the most significant advances was the development and use of floating fins. This acts as an arched external support that can transfer the excess weight of the building to a supported position with a backrest that protrudes from the ground. This makes it possible to increase the size of the window as well as more wall space to allow the window to be used. One of the best examples of the use of floating fins is the Notre Dame Cathedral of Notre Dame ("Our Lady of Paris"), located on a small island along the Seine River in Paris. At least four architects were involved in the construction of Notre Dame Cathedral, starting in 1163 and continuing until 1345.
Notre Dame was the first Gothic cathedral in the city to use real floating fins. Although the original plan for the cathedral did not include floating fins. However, because the thin walls were built to be taller – the cathedral was 226 feet tall when it was completed – stress fractures began to form as the walls pushed outward in response to the increased weight. For this reason, the construction of floating flanges is required. From this lesson, braces become a common structural element of latter-day cathedrals, which will be useful to the current goal of increasing the size and number of stained-glass windows in cathedrals.
Another distinctive feature of Notre Dame's stainless glass is that it shows the influence of naturalism. This is unlike earlier Romanesque architecture, which does not focus on less accurate representation of details. The rose window south of Notre Dame is one of the largest rose windows in the world. The window has an Old Testament theme and consists of 84 panes of glass divided into 4 circles that begin to radiate from the central coin of Christ. Unfortunately, the original central coin was lost as the window collapsed, and was later replaced by the coat of arms of the archbishop of Paris, who restored the window. In this case, it is four, and multiples of 12 and 24 are an important part of the intricate design of this window.
Notre Dame cathedral ที่มา: https://www.travelcaffeine.com/notre-dame-cathedral-paris-tips-review/
The techniques used at Notre Dame were further developed in the construction of the Chartres Cathedral. Beginning in 1194 and completed around 1260, the chart is an excellent example of the development of Western architecture in the Gothic period, as it employs entirely new structural elements of Gothic architecture that blend in with previously developed styles, including pointed arches and ribbed and vaulted ceilings, as well as floating flanges. The height of the completed cathedral is 371 feet high, and it is known to have the largest collection of medieval stained glass in the world. It consists of 176 original windows, as well as a well-preserved labyrinth. Within this collection, There are three irreplaceable stained-glass windows from the 12th century, each with a dark cobalt blue known as chart blue. This secret recipe has not yet been discovered. The labyrinth path is 261 meters (about 856 feet) long and is thought to represent the symbolic road where man met God. Pilgrims who come to Chatre and participate in the celebration of the Virgin Mary will walk along this path (French Moments).
One of the most famous stained-glass windows of the Chartres is the rose window of the west façade.
This window shows the scene of the Last Judgment, with Christ in the center showing His wounds. Surrounded by the Four Evangelists and Angels. The twelve apostles were on the left and right. While the top and bottom are the resurrection scenes. Soul Weighing by Archangel Michael Atonement is taken to heaven by angels, and cursed demons are led to hell (Sacred Destination, Chartres Rose Window). It seems common in many Gothic cathedrals that windows and sculptures of the western façade often depict scenes of the Last Judgment. While the architectural façade of the eastern architectural side shows the image of the Virgin Mary or The Virgin Mary and the Son reigned. The theme of the window is most often symbolically structured in this way, based on the fact that the sun rises in the east and sets in the west. To convey the beginning and the end.
Chartres Rose Window origin: https://www.worldhistory.org/article/1277/the-stained-glass-windows-of-chartres-cathedral/
The Cathedral of Amiens was built between 1226 and 1270 and the Cathedral of Reims, which was built between 1211 and 1516. Amiens and Reims both have mazes that are similar to Chatre. Unfortunately, many people saw the labyrinth of Reims as a symbol of superstition and was removed in 1999. The details are known only from 18th-century paintings (LUC Reims), both the Amiens and the Reims lost some of their original stained glass to fires or wars. Amiens lost most of the stained glass, but a lot remained. The figures in the rose window at Reims are very polite, which makes the window around the second half of the 13th century still known as the brightest cathedral because of its two large rose windows centered on the Virgin Mary.
Amiens Cathedral ที่มา: https://www.storyofacity.com/2022/01/11/amiens-cathedral/
An excellent example of the unprecedented goal of "height and light" is not the cathedral, but the church in Paris called the Sainte Chapelle.
Construction began in 1246 and was completed in 1248 in the Rayonnant style, which focused on maximizing the lighting inside the cathedral, as well as the overall appearance of the weightless structure. Sainte Chapelle is a truly fine example of Abbot Suger's original vision of bringing God into the church through divine light.
By looking at the architectural development of these cathedrals throughout the 12th and 13th centuries, we can observe how Abbot Suger's original goal was to create a new style of architecture. In the end, the development of stained glass and the inclusion of stained glass in cathedrals changed the way people learned about religion, as well as the development of the construction methods and architectural techniques used by Gothic architects.
And as such, we can say that the advancement of Gothic cathedrals during the 12th century, and the way we look at cathedrals today, all began with the singular concept of bringing in God. The church passes through the heavenly light created by stained glass windows. Beautiful stain glass
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