Chartres a.k.a. Cathedral of Notre Dame from the River

John Taylor Arms

Notre-Dame de Chartres Cathedral, located in the Centre-Val-de-Loire region of France, is considered a masterpiece of French Gothic art. The building was begun in 1145 but much of it was destroyed in the fire of 1194. The cathedral was reconstructed over a twenty-six-year period. The magnificent stained-glass windows from the 12th and 13th centuries are in remarkable condition. According to the UNESCO website, Chartres Cathedral was considered as a model from the time of its construction, due to the novelty and perfection of the technical and aesthetic parts that were adopted. All the elements that made it an architectural reference, in particular its nave and choir, remain intact. In his etching, Arms presents a view of the cathedral that was built on the left bank of the river Eure. The great, solid cathedral looms large over the rustic, dilapidated roofs of the old buildings along the river.