Saint-Etienne owns one of the most comprehensive sets of stained glasses in Paris. It covers the period from the beginning of the sixteenth century to the first quarter of the seventeenth century, after which the art of stained glass falls into a long period of obscurity until the twentieth century. Is is worth noticing that almost all windows are in their original location. At each period, the best craftsmen played a part in them.
Windows in the ambulatory
Created at the same moment when this part of the building was erected, the windows in the ambulatory give evidence of a willingness to ornate the church immediately. Notice the window of the Most Holy Name of Jesus.
The gallery known as “charnel cloister”
(the charnel in question is a former cemetery)
The stained windows of this gallery were designed at the beginning of the seventeenth century ; half of the initial 24 still remain. These are painting on glass with enamels fired in the oven, unlike all other windows of the church, in which glass has been molten with coloured pigments in it.
They share a common theme : the Eucharist, or real presence of resuscitated Christ in the consecrated bread, and its fore figures in the Old Testament. Among them, the “Mystical Wine-press” enacts Christ’s words during the Last Supper, which the Catholic liturgy repeats during every office, when he passed the cup of wine saying “this is my blood”.
Visit more : famous characters
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Les vitraux du déambulatoire (vus de la coursive) – Windows in the ambulatory (as seen from the gallery)
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Le vitrail du Très-Saint-Nom-de-Jésus (déambulatoire) – The window of the Most Holy Name of Jesus (ambulatory)
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Déambulatoire – vitrail de Saint Etienne : le saint, prêchant – Ambulatory – Saint Stephen’s window : the saint preaching
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Déambulatoire – vitrail de Saint Etienne : les animaux sauvages gardent le corps du saint – Ambulatory – Saint Stephen’s window : wild beasts keep over the saint’s corpse
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Déambulatoire – vitrail de Saint Etienne : les animaux sauvages gardent le corps du saint – Ambulatory – Saint Stephen’s window : wild beasts keep over the saint’s corpse
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Vitrail de Saint-Etienne, détail – Ambulatory – Saint Stephen’s window, detail
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Vitrail de Saint-Etienne, détail – Ambulatory – Saint Stephen’s window, detail
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Vitrail de Saint-Etienne, détail : la Trinité – Ambulatory – Saint Stephen’s window, detail : the Trinity
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Vitrail de Saint-Etienne, détail : la Trinité – Ambulatory – Saint Stephen’s window, detail : the Trinity
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Déambulatoire – vitrail de Saint-Etienne : les animaux sauvages gardent le corps du saint- Ambulatory – Saint Stephen’s window : wild beasts keep over the saint’s corpse
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Déambulatoire – vitrail de Saint-Etienne : l’âme de St Etienne monte au Ciel – Ambulatory – Saint Stephen’s window : Stephen’s soul soars to the sky
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Déambulatoire – vitrail de Saint Etienne : l’âme de St Etienne monte au Ciel – Ambulatory – Saint Stephen’s window : Stephen’s soul soars to the sky
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Le Christ ressucité apparaissant à Marie-Madeleine – Resuscitated Christ appears to Mary Magdalene
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Le vitrail du Pressoir mystique (galerie du cloître) – Window of the Mystical Wine-press (cloister gallery)
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Le vitrail de l’Arche de Noé (galerie du cloître) – Window of Noah’s Ark (cloister gallery)
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Vitrail de la vie de la Vierge : l’annonce à Joachim (père de la Vierge Marie) – Window of the Virgin’s life : the announcement to Joachim (Mary’s father)
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Vitrail, détail (pressoir mystique) – Window of the Mystical Wine-press, detail