• Gros plan sur le vitrail de la rosace
  • Un ensemble de vitraux de l'intérieur de la cathédrale Notre-Dame de Paris, la photographie en contre jour fait ressortir les couleurs vives
  • Les deux vitraux de la haute Nef l'un au dessus de l'autre
  • Dans Notre-Dame de Paris, vue resserrée du vitrail rose nord
  • Dans Notre-Dame de Paris, vue resserrée du vitrail rose nord
  • Dans le cloître de Notre-Dame de Paris, vue resserrée du vitrail rose sud
  • Dans le cloître de Notre-Dame de Paris, vue des vitraux en enfilade
  • Dans Notre-Dame de Paris, vue d'ensemble des vitraux séparés par une colonne au premier plan de la photographie
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The Stained Glass Windows

The stained glass windows of Notre-Dame are among the masterpieces of Gothic art. The art of stained glass is a hallmark of medieval architecture. They cover nearly a thousand square meters. Some are original, while others have been extensively restored.
Gros plan sur le vitrail de la rosace View

The Art of Stained Glass

The art of stained glass developed in the 12th century. The piercing of the walls in Gothic architecture allowed for the flourishing of large stained glass windows, embodying a spiritual intention initiated by Abbot Suger at the Basilica of Saint-Denis: to give the faithful the sensation of entering a monumental setting bathed in colored light. The successive projects in Chartres, Paris, and the Sainte-Chapelle allowed the mastery of the technique. To produce stained glass with intense colors, it was necessary to have large quantities of pigments, which were rare and expensive. They sometimes came from distant countries, such as lapis lazuli, extracted from mines in Afghanistan, to achieve a deep blue. The quality of the stained glass in Paris demonstrates the significant financial investments made in the construction of the cathedral. In architecture, a rose window refers to the shape of the openwork bay in the wall, while the term “rose” refers to the stained glass window itself.

Destruction and Restoration of the Stained Glass Windows

Over time, the cathedral suffered from weathering. The stained glass windows were never cleaned, becoming dirty, and their colors faded. By the 18th century, the luminous and colorful effect had disappeared. During the reign of Louis XV, the canons had part of the medieval stained glass destroyed and replaced with clear glass for a clearer and more modern look. The rose windows of the south transept are the best-preserved ancient stained glass.

History of the South Rose Window

The south rose window, also known as the noon rose, was donated by King Saint Louis. It was built in 1260, echoing the north rose built around 1250. Its design is the work of Jean de Chelles and later Pierre de Montreuil. It measures almost thirteen meters in diameter. Including the clerestory on which it rests, the total height of the glazing reaches nearly nineteen meters. As early as the 15th century, it suffered from color stability problems. From 1725 to 1727, Cardinal de Noailles financed its reconstruction and placed his coat of arms at the center. Architect Germain Boffrand directed the work. Master glazier Guillaume Brice incorporated old elements into it. During the 19th-century restorations, Viollet-le-Duc asked glazier Alfred Gérente to keep these additions and to recreate the missing medallions in the medieval spirit, inspired by the stained glass windows of Chartres.

Composition and Iconography of the South Rose Window

It comprises eighty-four panels arranged in four circles, with numbers symbolically arranged in fours, twelves, and twenty-fours. The twelve apostles are distributed in the two circles, mixed with saints and martyrs often honored in France, including Lawrence, Denis (first bishop of Paris), Pothin (bishop of Lyon), Margaret, Blandina, George, Ambrose, and Eustace. The third and fourth circles depict scenes from the New and Old Testaments, such as the flight into Egypt, the healing of a paralytic, the judgment of Solomon, and the Annunciation. Nine scenes from the life of Saint Matthew date from the late 12th century. The two spandrels depict the descent into hell, surrounded by Moses and Aaron (above), and the temptation of Adam and Eve (below); on the other, the resurrection of Christ, with Saint Peter and Saint Paul (below), and Saint Mary Magdalene and Saint John (above).

The Great Prophets

The four prophets Isaiah, Daniel, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel are depicted below the rose window. They each carry one of the four evangelists Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John on their shoulders. This representation illustrates the meditation of Bertrand, bishop of Chartres in the 13th century: “We are like dwarves perched on the shoulders of giants, so that we can see more than they, not because our sight is sharper or our stature higher, but because we are lifted up by their giant size.”

The West Rose Window

The west rose window has twenty-four spokes on three concentric circles. The Virgin and Child dominate the center of the composition. The first circle represents the twelve tribes of Israel. The upper half of the rose depicts vices and virtues in pairs. The twelve signs of the zodiac associated with the labors of the months of the year cover the lower half of the rose window.

The High Windows

These windows are the work of master glazier Jacques Le Chevallier, created to replace the white glass windows from the 18th century. At the request of Cardinal Verdier, an initial figurative project emerged in 1938. The twelve windows were taken down when war broke out. After the war, the artist received a new commission from the Monuments Historiques for a more innovative project. Le Chevallier created a non-figurative ensemble, breaking away from the Gothic style. For Le Chevallier, abstract art carries a strong spiritual dimension. The windows were installed in 1966.

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