Coronation of Charles VII - Reims Cathedral

This stained glass panel  in Reims Cathedral depicting the Coronation of Charles VII of France, captures the historic 1429 coronation of Charles VII in a dreamlike, symbolic tableau infused with Chagall's signature poetic modernism. Commissioned in 1968 and installed in 1974, it blends biblical motifs with French history, using bold cobalt blues, emerald greens, fiery ambers, and ruby reds to evoke divine light filtering through the Gothic arches.

At the heart, a crowned Charles VII stands regally in flowing robes patterned with fleur-de-lis, his figure elongated and ethereal, anointed amid swirling vines and celestial motifs. The king is depicted in a moment of sacral elevation, surrounded by attendants, clergy in vestments and nobles in medieval attire, arranged in semi-circular clusters, echoing traditional royal iconography while abstracted into fluid, weightless forms.

Positioned dynamically on the right, Joan appears as a youthful, armored warrior-saint, her banner aloft and gaze lifted heavenward in triumphant piety. She wears plate armor over a tunic, her short hair and resolute posture emphasizing her peasant origins and martial valor; a subtle sword or standard gleams in her grasp. This placement honors her real-life escort of Charles through enemy lines to Reims, symbolizing faith's triumph over adversity.

Chagall's Fauvist-inspired palette and cubist distortions transform the historical event into a spiritual vision: Joan's fervor radiates as a counterpoint to Charles's solemnity, underscoring themes of redemption, national rebirth, and divine intervention during the Hundred Years' War. Measuring approximately 12 meters high, the panel's asymmetry draws the eye upward to ethereal blues, inviting contemplation of Joan's legacy as France's savior-saint. Restored in recent decades, it remains a luminous bridge between medieval tradition and 20th-century expressionism, drawing pilgrims to Reims' sacred space.