Gothic Stained Glass Windows

This is a research paper I did for my Art History course! I thought maybe someone would be interested.


1.) Thesis: "...This study will show that the association of panels of prophets now in London with the Tree of Jesse window at Troyes cathedral is well founded."

2.) Article Summary: This article was written to show that the similiarities the Victoria and Albert Museum prophets and the Tree of Jesse from Troyes Cathedral were based on fact, and were true. The Tree of Jesse was "easily discerned in the distinctive crowned and frontal figures seated admist foilage." (PG. 232, Paston.) The four original panels represent King Solomn, King David, the Virgin, and Christ. There are physical factors such as dimensions, condition of glass and pitting that link the two pieces of art together. The style of art, with its lines and coloring, are another commonality. Some parts of the reconstruction of the Tree of Jesse window may have occured a few decades after other parts of compostition. This is easily explained by the events surrounding the Troyes Cathedral. August 9, 1228 a vicious whirlwind caused unspeakable damage to the cathedral, while in the following year a group of furious barons attacked the same holy church. While believed to have been located in the "central clerestory window" (PG. 236, Paston) due to King Philip Augustus donating thirty pounds "for making the large stained glass window in the center of the church." (PG. 236, Paston.)

3.) Article Critique:
Strengths: I found this article to be very well-written and informative. The author captured my attention with the way she stayed focused on her defense of the two windows being linked, yet made sure to provide adequate proof, not just "you're wrong and I'm right." Paston showed her research into the past with connection Grodecki made to King Augustus' gift of thirty pounds, and with her knowledge of Gothic art, more common in northern parts of the country than where the Tree of Jesse is believed to have been originated. She looked into the history of styles around the time period in question (1220-1240), such as Claudine Lautier with her discovery of the "co-existence of several hands" (PG. 236, Paston.) and Michael Cothren's find of three different styles in an axial chapel.
Weaknesses: I found myself wishing it was a bit longer written, with more detailed history into the art of stained glass, the story behind the representations of the Tree of Jesse, and the discovery of the restoration.
Audience: I believe this was written for an audience of college-level (at minimum) architects and art historians. There is a lot of focus on the stylings and the history of the pieces involved, beyond the simple beauty of a piece of art many could enjoy. The article delved into the representations behind the Tree of Jesse, and into the historical events surrounding the cathedral at the time it is predicted to have first been involved in restoration.
Relation to Today: Every day things are being discovered and used in restorations, or new creations. There are always pieces of art that are being lost and popping up somewhere else in time. The article about the Tree of Jesse is relatable because it was such an important piece that was destroyed and lost, only to mysteriously surface elsewhere. The value of an already beautiful window increased with the discovery of the fragmentations of the Tree inside them.

"And He Shall Gather Together the Dispersed": The Tree of Jesse at Troyes Cathedral
Elizabeth Carson Pastan
Gesta , Vol. 37, No. 2, Essays on Stained Glass in Memory of Jane Hayward (1918-1994) (1998), pp. 232-239
Published by: The University of Chicago Press on behalf of the International Center of Medieval Art
Article Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org.db23.linccweb.org/stable/767264