Bay 30a - Notre Dame de la Belle Verriere
(All images © Dr Stuart Whatling)
01 - The First Temptation of Christ 02 - The Second Temptation of Christ 03 - The Third Temptation of Christ 04 - The Wedding at Cana - Christ is welcomed to the feast 05 - The Wedding at Cana - the wine starts running out 06 - The Wedding at Cana - Mary tells Christ there is no wine 07 - The Wedding at Cana - Mary tells the servants to obey her son 08- The Wedding at Canaa - Christ turns water into wine 09 - The Wedding at Canaa - a cupbearer presents his master with the wine 10 - Censing Angel 11 - Four angels bearing columns supporting the 'Throne of Wisdom' 12 - Censing Angel 13 - Censing Angel 14 - Virgin and Child (lower third) 15 - Censing Angel 16 - Angel with candlestick 17 - Virgin and Child (middle third) 18 - Angel with candlestick 19 - Censing Angel 20 - Virgin and Child (upper third) 21 - Censing Angel 22 - Adoring Angel 23 - The Holy Spirit descending from the Celestial City 24 - Adoring Angel
Index to panels:
01 - The First Temptation of Christ
02 - The Second Temptation of Christ
03 - The Third Temptation of Christ
04 - The Wedding at Cana - Christ is welcomed to the feast
05 - The Wedding at Cana - the wine starts running out
06 - The Wedding at Cana - Mary tells Christ there is no wine
07 - The Wedding at Cana - Mary tells the servants to obey her son
08 - The Wedding at Cana - Christ turns water into wine
09 - The Wedding at Cana - a cupbearer presents his master with the wine
10 - Censing Angel
11 - Four angels bearing columns supporting the 'Throne of Wisdom'
12 - Censing Angel
13 - Censing Angel
14 - Virgin and Child (lower third)
15 - Censing Angel
16 - Angel with candlestick
17 - Virgin and Child (middle third)
18 - Angel with candlestick
19 - Censing Angel
20 - Virgin and Child (upper third)
21 - Censing Angel
22 - Adoring Angel
23 - The Holy Spirit descending from the Celestial City
24 - Adoring Angel

 

Overview:
The three upper-central panels (14, 17 and 20), representing the Virgin carrying the Christ Child on her lap in a strongly frontal pose (the so-called Sedes Sapientiae or 'Throne of Wisdom' format) are mid-12th century in date - rare survivors from Fulbert's glazing programme, possibly from the eastern axial chapel. They survived the fire of 1194 and were later re-fitted in this window, which otherwise dates from c.1220. The 13th century saw many such examples of earlier panels being re-used, as if their supposed antiquity (in fact most were little more than a generation or two old) gave them a special sanctity. From the 15th century onwards such recycled panels became known as Belles verrieres - many such exist though this is perhaps the most famous. As with the west windows, although the roots of the Virgin and Child panels are 12th century, they have been so heavily restored, in the 13th, 14th and 19th centuries, that relatively little of the original glass survives (for example, of the Virgin's halo, only two small fragments are original).