Sainte-Chapelle -- Jewelry Box of Light

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From the outside this miniature masterpiece is not much to look at ; the real treat is on the inside. Proves the proverb “Don’t judge a book by its cover” and disproves the saying “beauty is only skin deep”. This little chapel packs a punch. The builder pushed the structural limits of glass and stone. The ratio of glass to stone is higher here than any other period structure that I know of. No expense was spared when it came to the quality and color of glass used to fill the gapping voids between the tracery and mullions.

On a brilliant blue sky day the interior space is filled with color. It’s not just the solid surfaces that are bathed with color but the atmosphere contained within the glass and stone is colored like an impressionist’s painting; come to think of it, I felt as if I’d fallen off a special little timber bridge in Giverny and found myself swimming with the lilies, living in an Impressionist painting. The quality of the light and color changes with every passing moment and with every cloud that deflects the white light of the sun away from the glass.

The photos do not do the place justice, in fact I’m almost embarrassed posting them because they will be a let down for those that have been there and misleading to those that have not. Take my word for it go and if your really lucky you may be there on a sunny day.

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Photos

St. Chapelle
Built by Louis IX, 1246'ish

Comments

[Uncle Cliff]

Stained glass pics
very nice pics of stained glass windows hard to do in a dark cathederal especially with a digital camera and their limited dynamic range who's going to be the Big Bad Ugly American and slam the French over their architecture and artistic talents?

[Jeanette]

So very beautiful
These remind me of the cathedrals we visited in Italy. The biblical stories many times portrayed in the glass was interesting.