This stained-glass lancet shows St Jude (Thaddeus), one of the Twelve Apostles, and forms part of the late medieval glazing of the north transept at Évreux Cathedral. Dating from c.1490–1515, the window belongs to the final phase of the cathedral’s pre-Reformation glass and reflects the workshop traditions of Normandy at the turn of the 16th century.

Description

St Jude stands beneath a delicate architectural canopy, depicted as a mature, bearded apostle. He holds a book, signalling his role in early Christian teaching and the traditional attribution to him of the Epistle of Jude. His cloak, rendered in deep blues and greens with warm highlights, displays the characteristic modelling and colouristic density of late 15th-century Norman glass painting.

A flowing inscription scroll curls around him, though the wording is only partially preserved. At his feet the name IhUDE (or variant spelling) identifies him clearly. The figure is assembled from several original 15th/early-16th-century pieces, with some minor restoration typical of Évreux’s transept glazing.

Iconography

St Jude (also called Thaddeus) was frequently included in apostolic cycles of the later Middle Ages. His attributes varied by region and date: while later northern iconography often showed him with a club or halberd (alluding to his martyrdom), earlier and more conservative cycles—like this one—depict him simply with a book and expressive gesture. The emphasis is on his apostolic authority rather than his manner of death.

Context

The north transept of Évreux Cathedral preserves a series of apostolic and saintly figures executed around 1490–1515, during a period of significant renewal in the cathedral’s glazing. These windows bridge the stylistic shift from the late Gothic to early Renaissance, marked by:

• richer enamel work,

• finer shading of drapery folds,

• more naturalistic faces,

• and the introduction of architectural canopies with heightened decorative detail.

St Jude is part of this coherent programme, contributing to the cathedral’s visual litany of apostolic witnesses.

Significance

This lancet is a representative example of late medieval Normandy glazing: elegant, expressive, and technically accomplished. It preserves a key apostolic figure in a near-complete state, offering valuable insight into regional styles shortly before the upheavals of the 16th century.