The models of the six future contemporary stained glass windows of Notre-Dame de Paris, created by artist Claire Tabouret, are colorful and figurative. As of December 10, they’re on display at the Grand Palais in Paris. The actual stained glass windows will be installed at the end of 2026. The 44-year-old French painter is taking over a gallery at the Paris museum until March 15, where her works, nearly seven meters high (23 feet), are on display.
Tabouret was selected in December 2024 to create these stained glass windows after a call for projects launched by the French government and the Archdiocese of Paris. They wanted to add a contemporary touch to the cathedral, which, after being completely restored following the fire that devastated it in 2019, has regained its splendor.
Tabouret's brightly colored paintings are displayed in the order in which her stained glass windows will appear on the south side of the cathedral. Each one represents a verse from the Bible dedicated to Pentecost, the “descent of the Holy Spirit,” a theme chosen by the Archdiocese of Paris.
The first model depicts men standing in a circle, holding hands and praying. “This is the vision that came to me when I read the Bible verse ‘They were all together in one place,’” Tabouret explained to AFP.
More abstract, the second stained glass window illustrates the “great noise of the Holy Spirit” with a sky that is torn in two. In the last model, figures in procession bid farewell to visitors, looking them in the eye. “It's a transmission. They’re saying: ‘Now it's up to you to carry this message and live in respect and tolerance,’” continued the artist, who lives between Paris and Los Angeles.
Shining a light on the art of stained glass
In the middle of the gallery, display tables showcase stencils, small monotypes, and pieces of colored glass from the Simon-Marq workshop, which won the call for projects to create the stained glass windows with Tabouret. This is a distinction for the Reims-based glass workshop, which escaped liquidation in 2019.
“I think this will shine a light on this flamboyant and flourishing craft, and perhaps encourage private collectors to turn their attention to stained glass,” hopes Tabouret.
Strong opposition
The project for new stained glass windows for Notre-Dame de Paris is not unanimously supported and has even sparked controversy. The main reason put forward by its detractors is that the stained glass windows to be replaced by the contemporary project, which were created in the 19th century by Eugène Viollet-le-Duc, were not damaged in the fire on April 15, 2019. Located in the south aisle of the cathedral, they were protected both by their location, which was relatively untouched by the flames, and by the rapid intervention of the emergency services.
Their replacement is therefore not a matter of restoration or preservation, but rather a desire to leave a “contemporary mark” on the monument, as expressed by Emmanuel Macron and Archbishop Laurent Ulrich.
This initiative is not to everyone's liking. A petition by heritage advocates has been launched and has so far gathered nearly 300,000 signatures. An appeal was also filed with the administrative court and rejected at the end of November.
The National Heritage and Architecture Commission (CNPA) has also expressed reservations, even opposition. From the outset, its members expressed strong reservations about the relevance of replacing historic and intact stained glass windows. In July 2024, it voted against the project, but to no avail: in September, a new statement from the Ministry of Culture announced that the project was still going ahead.
Without approving the project for new stained glass windows, the CNPA finally “took note” of it in June 2025, while requesting that Viollet-le-Duc's stained glass windows be properly preserved and presented to the public.
See Notre Dame's website here.
More than a question of art or cultural heritage
Although it has been widely discussed and commented on, this project to create new stained glass windows should not overshadow the place for which they are intended: Notre-Dame de Paris. France, a country of cathedrals, has the largest area of stained glass windows in the world, some 90,000 m², according to the Institut national des Métiers d'Art.
A veritable Bible in glass, stained glass windows, through the scenes they depict, the techniques used, and the colors employed, exist to carry the prayers of the faithful as much as to give glory to God. These criteria should not be subject to controversy and debates purely about heritage.
