It's also surprisingly like a version of the church in Laon but where there lights aren't working properly. There's the same towering arches, the same grand scale, the same Cistercian austerity (Laon was one of the models the builders at Reims used as inspiration). But the whole east end of the building is strangely dark and forbidding.
The reason is stained glass. Unlike Laon, every window at the east end is filled with it, and most of the pieces are extraordinary mastepieces. There's a huge rose window i the south transept showing the creation and fall. An amazing triptych of windows by Marc Chagall. And more, both modern and ancient.
But the staining is heavy and the daylight becomes very obscured, so although each window is a marvel the total effect is to plunge the east of the church into gloom. I soaked in the greatness of the art, the way you might in a gallery. But the church felt less congenial for prayer. I found a quiet (dark!) corner and prayed for a while, then having paid my respects to French history, left. I was glad I'd been, but was glad to move on.
‘Cathedrals’, collectively, should be considered one of the great wonders of the modern World. Even at the busiest of times, it always seems possible to find a quiet corner to sit and reflect on the real issues we all face. I am also totally in awe of the scale, precision and quality achieved during their build. Is it at all possible that has been influenced by the loving care and due reverence of the many craftsmen involved in the construction process?
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