The Gallery of Kings and Ideology of Kingship in Medieval France (2008)

Undergraduate: Elizabeth Woodward

Faculty Advisor: Jaroslav Folda
Department: Art

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The gallery of kings is a row of sculpted royal figures that are generally ignored in most discussions of medieval sculpture. It appeared in the mid-13th century on the front facades of the cathedrals of Paris, Amiens, Chartres and Reims. The exact identity of these kings has been a subject of debate: are they historical French kings, or are they representations of the Old Testament kings of Judah? As Old Testament kings of Judah, they would be a horizontal representation of the genealogy of Christ, who was traditionally believed to be descended from the line of King David. As all four of these cathedrals are dedicated to the Virgin Mary (“Notre Dame”) such an interpretation seems logical. Looking at the historical context that produced these royal figures, however, it is most likely that these kings are neither French kings nor the kings of Judah, but instead are representations of an ideal of kingship that references both legendary French rulers (Charlemagne, etc.) and notions of biblical kingship. In the middle ages, French rulers modeled themselves after the Old Testament kings, attempting to emulate the piety and wisdom of King David and King Solomon. The French coronation ceremony, involving unction with holy oil and vows to protect the Church, reinforced this parallel. Additionally, the power of the Capetians was on the rise by the 13th century. The gallery of kings is therefore a symbolic representation of the theocratic ideal of kingship promoted by the Capetians.