Overview

This third sculptural sequence on the Chartres choir screen, executed by Jehan Soulas between 1521 and 1535, continues the programme with three major Christological scenes: the Nativity, the Circumcision of Christ, and the Epiphany. Carved in the hard, fine-grained limestone from the Tonnerre quarries, the reliefs combine a late Gothic architectural framework with a fully Renaissance treatment of the human figure.

As elsewhere in the jubé, Soulas draws freely on both canonical and apocryphal sources, enriching the biblical narrative with traditional motifs, domestic detail, and expressive gesture. The result is a sequence that is at once doctrinally instructive and emotionally immediate.

The Nativity

The Nativity is presented according to a well-established iconography largely derived from the Apocryphal Gospels, which supplement the sparse accounts of the canonical texts.

Mary kneels in adoration before the Child lying in the manger, her clasped hands and inclined head emphasising her role as the first worshipper of Christ. Behind her stands Joseph, holding his hat, a figure at once protective and contemplative.1 The ox and ass, absent from the Gospels but firmly rooted in exegetical and visual tradition, flank the crib, while three angels stand nearby, affirming the heavenly dimension of the event.

Soulas’s composition is compact and intimate, the figures closely grouped, with softly modelled faces and richly folded drapery that heighten the sense of quiet reverence.

The Circumcision of Christ

The Circumcision represents an episode mentioned only in the Gospel of Luke (Luke 2:21): eight days after his birth, the Child is circumcised and formally named, marking his entry into the Jewish community.

Soulas’s depiction is, however, ritually anachronistic. According to Mosaic Law (Leviticus 12:1–4), a mother was considered ritually impure for forty days after the birth of a son and would not have been present at the ceremony. In this relief, Mary is shown seated to one side, observing the rite in silence.

At the centre, Joseph holds the distressed Child as a priest performs the circumcision, while an acolyte looks on, holding a vessel of water. The emotional focus of the scene lies in the tension between the Child’s vulnerability and the solemnity of the ritual, underscoring Christ’s full participation in human law and suffering.

The Epiphany

The sequence concludes with the Epiphany, a scene that, like the Nativity, draws heavily on apocryphal tradition and medieval elaboration.

The Magi are differentiated by age and bearing. One kneels in adoration before the Child, presenting his gift, while the others stand behind, their offerings held ready. Mary, seated and holding the Child on her knee, adopts a calm, frontal pose that recalls the Sedes Sapientiae type.

The Christ Child leans animatedly toward the gifts, establishing a visual and emotional connection with both the Magi and the viewer. The refinement of costume, the careful rendering of textures, and the nuanced expressions lend the scene a strong sense of ceremony and universal recognition.

Style and Significance

In this Christological cycle, Jehan Soulas demonstrates a mature command of narrative relief. The figures possess weight and presence, interactions are clearly legible, and secondary details—gesture, gaze, and accessory—are used to guide the viewer’s understanding. By blending canonical scripture with apocryphal tradition, Soulas creates a richly layered visual theology that is both accessible and profound.

These reliefs reinforce the role of the Chartres choir screen as a didactic and devotional ensemble, translating complex theological ideas into scenes of striking human immediacy.

• 1.
  
  Jouanneaux, Françoise et Robert Malnoury Le Tour Du Choeur De La Cathédrale De Chartres Images Du Patrimoine AREP-Centre. Images Du Patrimoine Société archéologique et historique de l'Orléanais 2000.

  pp24-25.