A new vision

The terrible damage that the cathedral of Reims suffered during World War One included the destruction of nearly all of its stained glass windows. In recent times artists have worked with the municipality of Reims to replace some of these with modern designs created using the ancient techniques originally used in the cathedral, and they are pretty spectacular.

In 1971 the French painter Marc Chagall was commissioned to reinvent the windows of the chapel at the rear of the cathedral. He worked closely with a master glass maker, Charles Marq, who brought back skills from the 13th century, that were originally used during the construction of the cathedral, to help create Chagall’s trademark dreamy blue backgrounds. Chagall’s devoutly religious upbringing meant he could bring a touching symbolism to the windows biblical content.

I particularly loved the wispy little angel in the bottom right. The bright blue glowed with a calming ethereal quality.

In 2011, to celebrate the 800th anniversary of the cathedral, Imi Knoebel – a German artist – was commissioned to create six stained glass windows. He made them in his characteristic angular, primary coloured style. They’re quite magnificent, and give a very different glow to this part of the cathedral.

Then, in 2014, three more windows were gifted to Reims cathedral by the German foreign ministry. They had commissioned and paid Knoebel to create them as a symbol of Franco-German reconciliation, 100 years after the outbreak of the First World War.

The style is brighter, friendlier and less dramatic than the others. A truly delightful gift.

All of these modern windows sit very comfortably in the cathedral, and their point of difference helps to remind you of the building’s history.