The Good Samaritan Window, Chartres Cathedral

In Chartres Cathedral, The Good Samaritan window is one of the many intricate windows that the buildings is known for. Part of the original construction, this window was built in the 12th and 13th centuries. Located on the right-side arcade, the window is in the second panel on this side. The images within the panels depict two stories from the Bible: the Lukan Good Samaritan parable and Genesis's Creation narrative. The panels also include depictions of Shoemakers. Their representation suggests that this particular window, The Good Samaritan, was financed by a Shoemakers’ guild.

Title: PARISEUS. Here, Christ answers a pharisee's question "And who is my neighbor" by the Lukan parable of the Good Samaritan. (The head of the figure on the left is a later repair)

Placement and Construction

• The Good Samaritan Window is located on the south-east side of the cathedral.

  

  Placement of the Good Samaritan narrative window. [1]

• It is the third window in the right side aisle of the nave.

The Good Samaritan Narrative

The sources for the both of the Good Samaritan Window narratives are biblical - The Good Samaritan Parable, and the story of Creation, the Fall, The Expulsion from the Garden and the death of Abel. Direct sources include the following Biblical books, chapters, and verses: Gospel of Luke Chapter 10, vs. 29-37, Book of Genesis: Chapter 2, vs. 7, 15-17, 20-22; Chapter 3, vs. 1-10, 16-18, 21-24; Chapter 4, vs. 1-8, as follow:

Following is Jesus Christ's parable of the Good Samaritan:

1. 29 But wanting to justify himself, he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” 30 Jesus replied, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell into the hands of robbers, who stripped him, beat him, and went away, leaving him half dead. 31 Now by chance a priest was going down that road; and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. 32 So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33 But a Samaritan while traveling came near him; and when he saw him, he was moved with pity. 34 He went to him and bandaged his wounds, having poured oil and wine on them. Then he put him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. 35 The next day he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said, ‘Take care of him; and when I come back, I will repay you whatever more you spend.’ 36 Which of these three, do you think, was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?” 37 He said, “The one who showed him mercy.” Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.” [Luke 10:29-37, New Revised Standard Bible, or NRSV]

The alternative feature in the Good Samaritan window is Genesis’s account of Creation, the Fall of Man into Sin, the Expulsion of Adam and Eve from Eden, and the Killing of Abel. The following is a summary of those accounts, with chapter sources following each summary:

1. In the second chapter of Genesis, God created the first man, Adam, and gave him life. He then charged Adam with the care of the garden of Eden. The only command He gave was not to eat of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Following the command, Adam named all the animals but found no suitable companion among those he named. “21 So the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and he slept; then he took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh. 22 And the rib that the Lord God had taken from the man he made into a woman," Eve, "and brought her to the man.” [Genesis 2:7, 15-17, 20-22, NRSV]

   

   Panel 12 - At the inn, the Samaritan nurses the injured man back to health

2. In the succeeding chapter, the serpent is introduced, “more crafty than any other wild animal”. The serpent tempts and, though countered with a single rebuttal, convinces Eve to eat the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. “6 So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate; and she also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate.” Upon consuming the fruit, Adam and Eve realized their nakedness and utilized fig leaves to cover themselves. God returns, but because they have disobeyed and sinned, Adam and Eve hide from Him. In response to their temptation and sin, God curses the woman, the man, and the serpent. After the cursing, God provides for and clothes the man and the woman with skins. Because the tree of life was also presumably present in Eden, and Adam and Eve have access to the tree of life there, God expels them from the garden, lest they consume the fruit of the tree of life and obtain immortality for themselves and by themselves. [Genesis 3:1-10, 16-18, 21-24, NRSV]
3. In the following - fourth - chapter, Cain and then Abel are born of Adam and Eve, who said, “I have produced a man with the help of the Lord.” Abel tended sheep; Cain tilled the soil. “3 In the course of time Cain brought to the Lord an offering of the fruit of the ground,4 and Abel for his part brought of the firstlings of his flock, their fat portions. And the Lord had regard for Abel and his offering, 5 but for Cain and his offering He had no regard. So Cain was very angry, and his countenance fell. 6 The Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry, and why has your countenance fallen? 7 If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is lurking at the door; its desire is for you, but you must master it.”” Notwithstanding, Cain is presumably quite dissatisfied with God’s response. Thus, Cain invites Abel “out to the field” and there, rises up against, and kills his brother Abel. [Genesis 4:1-8, NRSV]

Trade Panels

Map to Good Samaritan window image under "Narrative" section and key to "Trade Panels" section.[2]

The full Good Samaritan and Creation Window, "donated by the Shoemakers' Guild." Three sections consist of the stories of the Good Samaritan of Jesus's Lukan parable as well as the creation and fall accounts of the biblical book of Genesis.

The Panels of Chartres Cathedral Windows, Creation and the Good Samaritan, contain 24 stained-glass windows. Plates one through eleven from bottom to top depict the Story of the Good Samaritan, and the other panels thirteen to twenty-four depict the Story of Creation. These are the themes of the planes depicting the story of the Good Samaritan:

01 - Signature panel (a shoemaker cutting leather)

02 - Signature panel (shoemakers making cord soles)

03 - Signature panel (donation of the window)

04 - Christ telling the parable to a couple of Pharisees

05 - The pilgrim leaving Jerusalem 06 - A bandit prepares to attack the pilgrim

07 - The pilgrim is beaten, robbed and stripped

08 - A Priest and a Levite see the injured man but walk on past

09 - A Samaritan binds the injured man's wounds

10 - The Samaritan leading the Pilgrim to an inn (left panel of two)

11 - An innkeeper welcoming the Samaritan (right panel of pair)

12 - At the inn, the Samaritan nurses the injured man back to health

These are the themes of the planes depicting the story of Creation from the Book of Genesis: Chapter 2, vs. 7, 15-17, 20-22; Chapter 3, vs. 1-10, 16-18, 21-24; Chapter 4, vs. 1-8:

13 - God breathing life into Adam

14 - Adam dwelling in Paradise

15 - God creates Eve out of Adam's rib

16 - God warning Adam and Eve not to eat from the tree of knowledge

17 - Adam and Eve conversing beneath the tree of knowledge

18 - Tempted by the serpent, Eve tastes the forbidden fruit

19 - God finds Adam and Eve hiding their nakedness

20 - An angel casts Adam and Eve out of Paradise

21 - Labouring in the wilderness; Adam digs and Eve spins

22 - God instructing Adam and Eve how to live in the wilderness

23 - Cain murdering his brother Abel with a sickle

24 - Christ in Majesty, seated on the rainbow

According to Jane Welch Williams in Bread, Wine, & Money, the window of The Good Samaritan in one of the two trade windows, the window of the Good Samaritan and the window of St. Stephen. Welch explains that plates eleven and thirteen describes the donors offering what seem small pieces of stained-glass. Delaporte believed that in these plates where donors are offering the small pieces of stained-glass is written “STTORES O,” as long if “O” is the abbreviation for Obtulerunt which altogether would be interpreted as “Shoesmakers offered (it).” Panel number three shows two medieval classes of men, those kneeling offering the windows (the stained glass masters), and those making the windows (the shoemakers wearing “short cotto of artisans”).

History

Panel 01 - Signature panel (a shoemaker cutting leather)

Panel 3: "A group of shoemakers offer their window (i.e. this window) to the Church. The hand of God emerges from a crould frill (top right) indicating His approval/acceptance of the gift. The Latin titulus reads "SUTORES O" - Delaporte assumed the 'O' to mean OBTELERUNT i.e. "The shoemakers offered it [this window].""

By the beginning of 13th century, there was a heavy influence of the Gothic style on stained glass window. Stained glass windows were not only for a narrative medium but became sources for those who were illiterate. They usually represented the images of saints, stories from the Gospels, and the donors of the windows. This particular stained glass window known as The Good Samaritan was donated as a gift by the shoemakers guild. There was little information about the shoemakers, however, sources indicate that that these shoemakers were not wealthy, yet they all contributed money to pay for the window.

Panel 2: Two shoemakers sitting at work making cord soles.

Panel 1 (above) shows a shoemaker working.

Panel 2 depicts the donors; A shoemaker at work sits at a table tooling on soles of shoes. Panel 3 shows seven men who identify as shoemakers as the donors. The image shows them kneeling at right, some with eyes closed, while others gaze upwards or to the left. The rightmost shoemaker holds a small model of a lancet window. In the upper right corner, a hand extends from a cloud representing God pointing to the church, a symbol of his approval or acceptance of the gift of the stained glass. "It is important to note, as Jane Welch Williams has pointed out that this is not, strictly speaking, a guild of shoemakers since formal guilds did not yet exist in Chartres at this date. Moreover, the men seen in this panel are dressed in clothing which would have been forbidden to a humble cobbler under sumptuary laws. As elsewhere, the true relationship between the windows, the donors and the tradesmen remains unclear."