Description
North Porch, Central Portal, Right Jambs: John the Baptist and Peter
John the Baptist (left) is an emaciated, bearded man with a halo who wears an upper garment covered with hair. He holds the Agnus Dei, a disk with a lamb with a cross and a banner. (Compare to the representation on the trumeau at Moissac).
Peter (haloed) is dressed as a pope with a conical mitre and carrries his attribute, a set of keys.. He wears a pallium and a square breastplate with twelve precious stones. (described in Exodus 28:17-20). In the Old Testament, priests wore this to symbolize the twelve tribes of Israel. In the Christian Church, it is said to stand for the twelve apostles. Peter was though to be the first Pope. In Matthew 16:18-9, Christ calls Peter the "rock ... upon which I shall build my church).
Many scholars pointed out the parallelism between the two outermost figures of the left jambs and on the right jambs. Melchisodech (outer figure on the left) is the Old Testament priest whose sacrifice prefigured the Eucharist, while Peter (outer figure on the right) was the first Pope. Abraham (second figure on the left) was prepared to sacrifice his son, while John the Baptist (second figure on the left) holds a symbol for Christ, who was sacrificed by God to save Mankind)
Note the traces of paint uncovered during the cleaning of this porch in the 1990's.
Subject
Cathédrale de Chartres--Pictorial works.;Church decoration and ornament--France--Chartres--Pictorial works.;Church architecture--France--Chartres--Pictorial works.;Christian art and symbolism--France--Chartres--Medieval, 500-1500--Pictorial works.
