The Stunning Stained Glass of France

Justin Postlethwaite reveals some breathtaking stained-glass masterpieces, whose light, history and artistry illuminate mighty cathedrals and charming chapels…

The French Institute for Savoir-Faire is the organisation which promotes and preserves French excellence in craftsmanship by passing on skills and providing lifelong training for professionals. Among these professionals are stained-glass window makers and restorers (maîtres verriers or vitraillistes), who, given the country’s vast amount of stained glass, have plenty of work on their super-skilled hands.

“France, the country of cathedrals, has the largest area of stained-glass windows in the world, covering 90,000m²,” it says. Whether you are seeking spiritual insight or a history lesson, stained-glass windows provide a multicoloured step back in time. These decorative or figurative compositions are pieces of glass (white or coloured, using metal oxides added when the glass is still being fused) of all sizes, assembled in sections and fixed in frames formed by lead strips.

Found in Christian religious buildings (although modern works are now installed in people’s homes too), they represented biblical scenes offering theological education in narrative form, with local legends, important figures and lifestyles also depicted. Above all, these windows tell stories: grey, dull and impossible to distinguish from the outside, the ‘light of God’ illuminates the tales for worshippers gathered inside.

From the imposingly massive to the small yet exquisite, there is a vast array of stained-glass wonders to explore in France, from works by pioneering artisans of the early Middle Ages right through to contemporary artists such as Matisse and Soulages. Early Gothic marvels include the Basilica of Saint-Denis, Sainte-Chapelle in Paris and Chartres Cathedral, while examples of Early Flamboyant style from the 14th century include the cathedrals of Tours and Troyes.

Here is France Today’s subjectively selected cross-section of windows from the big hitters to lesser-known gems – to make you go ‘wow’. If you have a favourite and wish to send us photos, email us at [email protected]

1. CATHÉDRALE NOTRE-DAME DE CHARTRES, EURE-ET-LOIR

Completed in 1252, this imposing UNESCO World Heritage Site is one of the most admired and important examples of High Gothic and Classic Gothic architecture. But it is the exceptional volume and quality of its stained-glass windows that set it apart -at around 2,500m³, it houses the largest complex of coloured windows remaining from the Middle Ages.

“Chartres Cathedral has almost totally conserved its homogeneous decor of stained-glass windows executed between approximately 1210 and 1250,” says UNESCO. “To this must be added the three stained-glass windows of the 12th century above the Royal Portail and the large roses of the 13th century on the three façades: on the west, the Last Judgement; on the north, the Glorification of the Virgin, on the south, the Glorification of Christ.”

www.cathedrale-chartres.org/en

2. LA SAINTE-CHAPELLE, PARIS

Today managed by the Centre des monuments nationaux, Sainte-Chapelle was completed in 1248. It was built by Louis IX to receive the most prestigious relic of the Passion of Christ: the Crown of Thorns and a fragment of the True Cross. “Built in less than seven years, a record time, the Sainte-Chapelle was conceived as a piece of goldsmith’s art, whose walls of light exalt the Capetian monarchy and the kingdom of France,” says the church’s website. The most staggering achievement is the 1,113 scenes – across 15 vertiginous stained-glass windows-that tell, in a vast illustration, the story of the Passion of Christ and humanity, from Genesis to the Resurrection. A later addition is the rose window at the west of the upper chapel, completed in the late 15th century in the Flamboyant Gothic style and depicting scenes of the Apocalypse in 89 panels.

www.sainte-chapelle.fr/en

3. CHRIST DEWISSEMBOURG, STRASBOURG, BAS-RHIN

From the epic proportions of Chartres and Sainte-Chapelle we turn to a small but perfectly formed figurative stained-glass window – and the oldest preserved in France. Made from a single sheet of glass, the 25cm-wide ‘Christ de Wissembourg’ – most likely the remains of a monumental figure of Christ standing or seated on a throne – dates from the second half of the 12th century, though it was restored in around 1950.

Displayed at the Œuvre Notre-Dame Museum in Strasbourg, it is a fragment of a stained-glass window from the Romanesque Saint Peter and Saint Paul Abbey in the fortified town of Wissembourg, Alsace, which today houses a reproduction of the work. It also contains the largest full-length fresco in Francean 11m high Saint Christopher from the 14th century painted on one of the walls of the transept. You can easily visit both sites in one trip they are only an hour apart by car.

www.visitstrasbourg.fr/en; www.alsace-verte.com/en

4. ABBEY CHURCH OF SAINTE-FOY, CONQUES, AVEYRON

Conques, a Plus Beau Village in the Aveyron department, is a picture-perfect pilgrimage stop-off for those on the Saint-Jacques route to Compostela. Among the treasures in the Romanesque abbey are the relics of Sainte-Foy, a 12-year-old Agen girl martyred during the 4th century after being tortured and killed by the Romans, as well as the glorious, epic Last Judgment tympanum above the western entrance. As for its stained-glass windows, they have a contemporary, abstract look thanks to the artist Pierre Soulages, who lived not far away in Rodez, and fell in love with the church as a child. He was invited by the Culture Ministry to decorate 95 windows and nine loopholes, and set about researching a new translucent glass material to be made from reconstituted crushed white glass, to retain harmony with the ancient stone and let the incoming light express itself. “What guided me was the will to bring the light to life, while modulating it, and to create a surface appearing like the source of light while respecting the architectural identity and its own artistic or sacred emotional power,” he said.

www.tourisme-conques.fr/en

5. SAINTE-MARIE CATHÉDRALE, AUCH, GERS

Located in the heart of Gascony, the imposing stature of Auch’s epic UNESCO-listed Sainte-Marie cathedral – another important waymarker on the Saint-Jacques route to Compostela – impresses before you even set foot inside to explore its treasures.

A blend of Renaissance and Flamboyant Gothic styles, it was completed in 1680 after two centuries of work, with the great organ (1694) and the exceptional woodwork of its choir stalls (1,500 characters carved in oak) essential viewing.

The pièce de résistance, though, is the dazzlingly bright 16th-century stained-glass work by Arnaud de Moles, with 18 windows packed with detailed, compelling storytelling. Spot biblical characters from prophets to apostles, as well as figures from Greco-Roman mythology; and don’t miss the Temptation of Adam and Eve, or the window depicting the Resurrection, with a note of the installation date -June 25, 1513-along with the master glassmaker’s signature.

www.auch-tourisme.com/en

From France Today Magazine

Lead photo credit : Photo: shutterstock