Un manifeste des débuts de l’architecture flamboyante signé J. Lebas : la grande baie orientale de l’église des Jacobins de Saintes

Abstract

The Jacobin church at Saintes has a vast east window which is remarkable in many ways. It is one of the very rare gothic bays bearing a large inscription giving its precise date (1446) and naming the architect, J. Lebas. A detailed morphological analysis of the tracery attests the unusual quality of its architectural forms. The tracery of the tympanum, which is among the earliest flamboyant compositions, stands out for its sophistication and the studied reflection by the master of the works concerning the artistic means at his disposal. The sources of inspiration of the tracery design, coming from both the South-West and northern France, illustrate his extensive knowledge of late medieval work-sites. A critical re-examination of the inscription in the bay aims to determine the degree of initiative on the part of the presumed master of the works, Jean Lebas. Globally, the study intends to illustrate how a close formal analysis