The Good Samaritan Window is an art piece that has stood out to me due to the fact that it represents stranger, in this case Jesus caring for others and helping them. Good Samartian defines the meaning of selfless acts for the greater good of mankind. This art piece is dated back to 1200-1210 and is located in the Chartes Cathedral on the south side of the church. This art piece is not completed by just one artist but a large work group of roman decent. Stained glass windows are distinctive to the gothic period, it became more common during this time period than ever before. As a child I remember sitting in church and mesmerized by the beautiful colors and fine detail in the artwork. The Good Samartian is one of the more important pieces of this period of time and many churches still use stained glass to tell a story. This paper will going into detail on stained glass windows and the significance of the Good Samartian Window, how it compares to art work of this time period, and its iconography.
Stained glass windows and paintings have a strength unlike any other artwork because they remained intact throughout time. The colors and details is meant to draw the senses and emotions of the viewer, as if they are living the experience through the art work. Stained glass is extremely expensive and intricate medium of painting. There is a process and a number of materials used to create such a beautiful piece of art work. This form of art work is mainly used in religious establishments and common to find in a modern Catholic church. The Good Samaratian is interesting because it's comprised of twenty-four different little to tell the parable of Jesus. In order to create these beautiful windows a time consuming process must take place. It begins with melting sand and wood ash that after cooled turns to glass. The next step is to add color to the glass using powdered metal and then blown in sheets.