Cathedral Gothic Stained Glass Windows

Greg christensen photographer s choice getty images plus medieval meaning.

Cathedral gothic stained glass windows.

Gothic cathedrals were transformed into a vision of heaven a place of retreat from the noise of the city. Chartres cathedral is another cathedral famed for its medieval stained glass. While the origins of stained glass are unknown the gothic period of architecture saw a blossoming in the use of stained glass in its great cathedrals. They cover 2600 square metres in total and consist of 172 bays illustrating biblical scenes the lives of the saints and scenes from the life of trade guilds of the period.

Stained glass windows in saint denis cathedral paris france. Some of the glass dates back to the 1140s and there are more than 150 stained glass windows. French gothic stained glass windows were an important feature of french gothic architecture particularly cathedrals and churches built between the 12th century and 16th century while stained glass had been used in french churches in the romanesque period the gothic windows were much larger eventually filling entire walls. Pictured here is the south rose window a gift from king louis.

The cathedral s large grounds provide plenty of space for children to run around or parents to picnic while the church itself is graced by stained glass elegant gothic architecture and plenty of regional history making it one of the most beautiful cathedrals in the area. They were particularly important in the high gothic cathedrals most. Stained glass windows in houses were particularly popular in the victorian era and many domestic examples survive. Exhibited 1910 french gothic stained glass architect painting leicester holland.

Aside from its famous french gothic architecture this venerable cathedral contains some of the most iconic stained glass in the world. Stained glass windows played various roles in gothic architecture. The stained glass windows of chartres cathedral are held to be one of the best preserved and most complete set of medieval stained glass notably celebrated for their colours especially their cobalt blue. The monastery which is believed to be the oldest in the country.

The glass is from the early medieval period and covers a wide variety of religious subjects as well as scenes of donors carrying out their trades. In their simplest form they typically depict birds and flowers in small panels often surrounded with machine made cathedral glass which despite what the name suggests is pale coloured and textured.