Cathedral (Exterior) by photosynthesis
Close
Hover over top left image to zoom.
Click anywhere to exit.
Members remain the original copyright holder in all their materials here at Renderosity. Use of any of their material inconsistent with the terms and conditions set forth is prohibited and is considered an infringement of the copyrights of the respective holders unless specially stated otherwise.
No AI - This artwork was created entirely by hand or with traditional digital tools.
Description
A view of the cathedral at Chartres.
From Wikipedia:
"Chartres Cathedral, also known as Cathedral of Our Lady of Chartres, is a medieval Catholic cathedral of the Latin Church located in Chartres, France, about 80 kilometres (50 mi) southwest of Paris. It is considered one of the finest examples of French Gothic architecture and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The current cathedral, mostly constructed between 1194 and 1250, is the last of at least five which have occupied the site since the town became a bishopric in the 4th century.
The cathedral is in an exceptional state of preservation. The majority of the original stained glass windows survive intact, while the architecture has seen only minor changes since the early 13th century. The building's exterior is dominated by heavy flying buttresses which allowed the architects to increase the window size significantly, while the west end is dominated by two contrasting spires – a 105-metre (349 ft) plain pyramid completed around 1160 and a 113-metre (377 ft) early 16th-century Flamboyant spire on top of an older tower. Equally notable are the three great facades, each adorned with hundreds of sculpted figures illustrating key theological themes and narratives.
Since at least the 12th century the cathedral has been an important destination for travellers – and remains so to this day, attracting large numbers of Christian pilgrims, many of whom come to venerate its famous relic, the Sancta Camisa, said to be the tunic worn by the Virgin Mary at Christ's birth, as well as large numbers of secular tourists who come to admire the cathedral's architecture and historical merit."
And a piece of trivia for gamers:
"Popular action-adventure video game Assassin's Creed features a climbable cathedral modeled heavily on the Chartres Cathedral."
Comments (12)
Beautiful POV that make the impression that the building is going to the sky !!
Thanks for posting and the history. If I recall correctly, this is the first Gothic style cathedral in Europe. The Knights Templar were considered to have discovered this style of architecture in a sealed chamber under the Temple Place in Jerusalem, and brought it to France. More photos to come? Keep up the good work! :-)
A great photo of this glorious edifice.
magnificent !
An imposing view and beautiful capture; I would love to see this in person!
Wow what a breathtaking view of the amazing design and architectural carvings ! Thanks for sharing the historical background.
wonderful pov
Very intricate architecture and you have captured it superbly.
Beautiful and intimidating
Even I, as a secular observer, has to give a big thumbs up in not only the magnificent magnitude of this religious icon, but definitely to your photograph of it, with the outstanding POV, clarity, lighting and textural effects.
you got some wonderful comments, and I second Harry. Like your interior shot, you show, here, the sinewy texture of gothic lines at their best. Esp on the steeple---the way the lines take us from bottom to top, and into the sky. (Into heaven. By design.) Your angled pov allows the 'soar' of the structure to stand out, and you've given us lots of shadow in the open entryway, with the sense of 'emerging out of/into a cave'. I think you're looking on the side of the main entrance (the "westwork"---facing west, while the head of the cross faces east/or towards jerusalem)...I think that's where you are. It's not a main entrance, I believe...and the reason that's important is that, in these massive structures, even a 'side' entrance is massively decorated and celebratory...and mysterious. ("Let me get this straight: This is your SIDE entrance????") Your pov allows the spire---which I believe is one of the two entry spires of the western entrance---to stand out from the mass of stone and dark detail to our left. And the move from dark to sky is just right. A dramatic and always-sensitive shot of a great facade, Claude. Chartres, with Rheims and Amiens, is among the most visionary Gothic structures in the world. I'm so happy to see it through your eyes.
The workmanship is fantastic as is the crew that maintains the outside facades!