William of Conches, Bernard Silvestris, and Clarembald of Arras. John of Salisbury was
bishop of Chartres from 1176 until his death in 1180.
Two important Gothic monuments are located at Chartres: the famous cathedral of
Notre-Dame and the Benedictine abbey church of Saint-Père-en-Vallée. These structures
represent stylistic developments in Gothic art from the mid-12th century through the
early 14th.
Notre-Dame at Chartres is one of the great Gothic cathedrals. The earliest part of the
extant structure is the west façade and narthex, constructed ca. 1140–60 following a fire
in 1134, which destroyed the façade of the Romanesque church. It consisted of two bell
towers connected by a tripleportal entrance, the Royal Portal. Sculpture articulates the
entire façade. Old Testament figures are placed on the jambs, whose historiated capitals
contain New Testament scenes. Christ in Glory appears on the central tympanum, and the
Ascension is depicted on the north portal. The south portal is dedicated to the Virgin
enthroned with Christ on the tympanum, where the Seven Liberal Arts in the archivolts
attest to the intellectual importance of the school of Chartres. The volumetric figures with
calm demeanor exemplify the Early Gothic style.
Above the Royal Portal are three stained-glass windows depicting the Tree of Jesse
(north), Christ’s childhood and ministry (center), and a Passion cycle (south). These
windows along with a Virgin and Child, Notre-Dame de la Belle Verrière, now in the
south-choir aisle, are important examples of 12th-century stained glass, notable for their
vibrant blue color.
Another fire in 1194 destroyed the cathedral except for the west façade with narthex
and the crypt. The new cathedral was substantially complete by the dedication in 1260.
Later additions included the 14th-century chapter house with chapel of Saint-Piat east of
the chevet, the 15th-century Vendôme chapel along the south aisle, and the north-tower
spire constructed by Jean Texier (Jean de Beauce) in 1507–13.
Chartres represents a classic design of a Gothic cathedral. The basilica plan has a nave
of seven bays with single aisles and a double-aisled choir of four bays terminating in a
chevet with radiating chapels. The projecting transept arms almost bisect the longitudinal
axis. Quadripartite rib vaulting provides structural and aesthetic unity. In the elevation,
the arcade and clerestory are equal in height. The piers and engaged ribs emphasize
vertical lines, which the triforium arcade balances horizontally. The clerestory windows
of double lancets surmounted by a rose allow light to permeate the interior. Systematic
use of exterior wall and flying buttresses support the effects of light and verticality.
The iconographic programs of Gothic sculptural façades are developed in the north
and south transepts. On the north, the central portal is dedicated to the Virgin with her
death, assumption, and coronation on the tympanum. The left portal contains infancy
scenes on the jambs and tympanum, while the right portal has Old Testament figures with
the Judgment of Solomon on the tympanum. The south façade places the Last Judgment
in the center
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