Student 31 Exam I Fall 1999

*note: this exam was entered exaclt as the student wrote. No changes have been made.

Chartres cathedral, located in northwestern France, is one of the first examples of Gothic architecture and is renowned for its beauty, splendor, elegance, and most importantly, for its intricate and detailed architecture. Like most Gothic cathedrals, Chartres was used by the priest to conduct masses for all occasions. But, most importantly, it was the seat or throne of the bishop. Chartres also served as a monumentary shrine to the virgin Mary. In addition, it was often used as a municipal center. The construction of Chartres was a town effort and was supported by the funds and labors of local citizens and guild members. The floor plan of the Chartres was much like that of Romanesque churches, with the exception of the transept being moved a little west in order to make more room for the choir area. Chartres was the first to use flying buttresses for structural support. The buttresses transferred the weight of the walls, allowing for higher ceilings and more windows. Chartres is also famous for its gargoyles. These gargoyles were water spouts in the form of grotesque human beings or hybrid beasts which were believed to ward off evil.

Chartres is also well-known for its many stained glass windows. At Chartres, the 175 surviving windows with a representation of over 4000 figures comprise a cosmic narrative as to mankind's religious and secular history. Chartres is the housing place of the cloak of Mary, which was worn by her at Christ's birth. This cloak, or Santa Camisma, survived the great fires of the 12th century. This is the reason why Mary dominates the iconographic program evident throughout the cathedral of Chartres. Her image is clearly depicted in the oldest and most famous window in Chartres, the Blue Virgin Window. This window is full of vibrant and beautiful colors. It shows Mary holding the Christ child close to her womb, symbolizing the seat of wisdom. Above them are 7 angels with incense devices. The color blue is very prominent throughout this image. However, Mary and Christ are different shades of blue. This symbolizes that Christ is divine (blue represents divinity) whereas Mary only gave birth to the divine. She isn't divine herself.

Another famous window at Chartres is the Jesse window. It depicts the lineage of Christ from Jesse. At the bottom of this image is Jesse, dressed in a Jewish cap. A tree sprouts from his groin, symbolizing human fertility. The Tree is green symbolizing growth and renewing, as Christ is giving humans renewal through his sacrifice. The tree grows through Mary to Christ, who is at the top of the image. Above Christ is seven doves in addition to seven prophets on either side of him. The number 7 is again represented, symbolizing the perfection and completion of the cosmos. It is determined by adding 4 - which is the perfection of the material world -- to 3 -- which is the perfection of the spiritual world.

The main parts of a cathedral include the nave, the transept, the chapels, and the ambulatory. The nave is famous for its high vaulted ceiling and pointed arches. These ceilings, along with the multicolored radiant light, transport one to a subconscious level which is thought to be with the divine. Included in the nave is the labyrinth. The labyrinth is symbolic of the pilgrim's journey or one's life, in which one must get past the troubles and tribulations to reach the center. There are no dead ends in the labyrinth. It symbolizes one's soul uniting with God. The ambulatory is a walkway on either the inside or outside of the chapel in which one might go to pray. The transepts run perpendicular to the nave.

The Chartres cathedral clearly supports the functionalist theory of art. It was built for a specific purpose: to house the Santa Chamisma and to create a throne or seat for the bishop.

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