Concours des vitraux de Jeanne d’Arc: The Multiple Ways of Materializing the Past in Late Nineteenth-Century French Stained Glass

Abstract

In 1893 the competition to design ten stained glass windows for the Cathedral Sainte-Croix, Orleans, depicting the life of Joan of Arc, concluded with a traveling exhibition held in Paris and Orleans. This little-known event might have been entirely forgotten had it not been for the debate that raged after the announcement of the winner. The jury’s award to L. Jacques Galland and Esprit Gibelin contrasted with the critical reception that favored the designs of Swiss artist Eugene Grasset. The discussions surrounding the competition reveal disagreement over how best to materialize the past in French stained glass, what techniques should be deployed to produce architecturally consistent windows, and the response to technological advances that were widely used by commercial firms producing windows for middle-class audiences. The article demonstrates how technique, technology, and the question of “how it was made” were key factors in shaping critical judgment of medieval revival in one of France’s illustrious...