Despite the vicissitudes of history, Paris has some real treasures when it comes to stained glass windows. Judge for yourself …
Medieval stained glass
Tourists from all over the world visit the Sainte-Chapelle (1st arrondissement) on the Île de la Cité. The exceptional surface area of the 13th-century stained glass windows is worth the trip: 15 windows 50 feet high, with over a thousand figurative scenes!
St. Louis commissioned this chapel to house Christ's crown of thorns. It was built in record time between 1243 and 1248, hence the unity of the decor. The saintly king of France spared no expense; just look at the brightly colored medallions made with rare pigments!
Gothic architecture allows light to flood in through huge windows. The stained glass technique was refined during the construction of Chartres Cathedral, the Sainte-Chapelle, and Notre-Dame de Paris. At Notre-Dame (14th century), the only medieval stained glass windows still in place are the three rose windows to the west, north and south, dating from the 13th century. Here too, master glassmakers used the famous lapis lazuli from Afghanistan.
Renaissance stained glass
Stained glass windows made in 16th-century Paris are signed by their creators. With masterful use of perspective, the designs are meticulous and the scenes theatrical. In the 1530s, Jean Chastellain created stained glass windows for Saint-Germain l'Auxerrois and the admirable Sagesse de Salomon (Wisdom of Solomon) in Saint-Gervais-Saint-Protais based on designs by Noël Bellemare, a painter from Antwerp.
Seventeenth-century stained glass windows were used to close in the cloister of the former cemetery of Saint-Etienne-du-Mont. These enamel-painted stained glass windows are the most beautiful in Paris from the epoc. The soft colors are reminiscent of watercolors.
The harsh light of the 18th century
The 18th century was a time of clarity. Medieval stained glass windows, considered too dark, were destroyed. This is what happened to Notre-Dame de Paris under Louis XV. From 1750 onwards, Parisian churches were fitted with colorless stained glass windows bordered with a blue line. In the 19th century, the faithful ended up criticizing the clergy for this harsh light, and they even hung curtains in some churches!
In the 19th century, old stained glass windows (pre-Revolution) were considered works of art to be protected ... and restored. During the Viollet-le-Duc era, Prosper Lafaye restored the stained glass windows of many Parisian churches. This did not prevent the City of Paris from commissioning new stained glass windows, for the Saint-Laurent church (10th century) for example. The revival of religious practice and technical progress finally revived artistic production.
Art Deco
Not all of the stained glass windows in Paris' churches were removed during World War II, as Paris was declared an “open city” and was not to be bombed.
In the 1930s, the Mauméjean workshops produced mosaics and stained glass windows for Sainte-Anne-de-la-Butte-aux-Cailles (13th century) and Saint-Pierre-de-Chaillot (16th century). Glass paste was used in the windows of the Saint-Odile church (17th century).
Finally, stained glass windows by the painter Jean Bazaine, installed in 1970 at Saint-Séverin, heralded the era of contemporary Parisian stained glass.
