Jean d'Orbais (ca. 1175-1231) was a French architect from
Orbais-l'Abbaye
Orbais-l'Abbaye () is a commune in the Marne department in north-eastern France. The abbey at Orbais was founded at the end of the 7th century by Saint Réol, and the remains (including a church) are situated in the centre of the town.
Histor ...
, active in the
Reims
Reims ( , , ; also spelled Rheims in English) is the most populous city in the French department of Marne, and the 12th most populous city in France. The city lies northeast of Paris on the Vesle river, a tributary of the Aisne.
Founded by ...
area. He was an architect of the
High Gothic
High Gothic is a particularly refined and imposing style of Gothic architecture that appeared in northern France from about 1195 until 1250. Notable examples include Chartres Cathedral, Reims Cathedral, Amiens Cathedral, Beauvais Cathedral, and ...
style and the first of the four architects of the
Cathedral of Reims
, image = Reims Kathedrale.jpg
, imagealt = Facade, looking northeast
, caption = Façade of the cathedral, looking northeast
, pushpin map = France
, pushpin map alt = Location within France
, ...
, where he is depicted in the
labyrinth mosaic in the
nave
The nave () is the central part of a church, stretching from the (normally western) main entrance or rear wall, to the transepts, or in a church without transepts, to the chancel. When a church contains side aisles, as in a basilica-type ...
. He was responsible for the design of and initial work on the cathedral of
Notre Dame de Reims.
Early life
He was born c. 1175 in the
village of Orbais in the and before working at Reims he made his debut with the construction of the
Abbey Church of Orbais.
Abbey
Abbey Church building, church Orbais-l'Abbaye
Orbais-l'Abbaye () is a commune in the Marne department in north-eastern France. The abbey at Orbais was founded at the end of the 7th century by Saint Réol, and the remains (including a church) are situated in the centre of the town.
Histor ...
.The Orbais-l'Abbaye#abbey, St. Pierre-St. Paul Church was built at the end of the 12th and early 13th centuries by Jean of Orbais, one of the architects of the
Cathedral of Reims
, image = Reims Kathedrale.jpg
, imagealt = Facade, looking northeast
, caption = Façade of the cathedral, looking northeast
, pushpin map = France
, pushpin map alt = Location within France
, ...
.
The Abbey Church had a length of 8 m with eight bays of
nave
The nave () is the central part of a church, stretching from the (normally western) main entrance or rear wall, to the transepts, or in a church without transepts, to the chancel. When a church contains side aisles, as in a basilica-type ...
, Two of which remain today. The architecture is superb and particularly the
façade
A façade () (also written facade) is generally the front part or exterior of a building. It is a Loanword, loan word from the French language, French (), which means 'frontage' or 'face'.
In architecture, the façade of a building is often t ...
, with its two towers similar to those of the Basilica Saint-Rémi de Reims and the choir with ambulatory with five radiating chapels. There is also
stained glass window
Stained glass is coloured glass as a material or works created from it. Throughout its thousand-year history, the term has been applied almost exclusively to the windows of churches and other significant religious buildings. Although tradition ...
s of the 12th century, funerary slabs from the 14th and 15th centuries, a
baptismal font
A baptismal font is an article of church furniture used for baptism.
Aspersion and affusion fonts
The fonts of many Christian denominations are for baptisms using a non-immersive method, such as aspersion (sprinkling) or affusion (pouring). ...
from the 16th century and the glazed tiles from the 15th century.
Cathedral of Reims
He saw the design and beginning of construction of the
Cathedral of Notre-Dame, Reims
, image = Reims Kathedrale.jpg
, imagealt = Facade, looking northeast
, caption = Façade of the cathedral, looking northeast
, pushpin map = France
, pushpin map alt = Location within France
, ...
, on which he worked from 1211AD to 1231AD and 1235. The design was carried out in ca. 1210; among its new features were three-tier elevation, and quadripartite vaults.
The overall plan of the
Cathedral
A cathedral is a church that contains the '' cathedra'' () of a bishop, thus serving as the central church of a diocese, conference, or episcopate. Churches with the function of "cathedral" are usually specific to those Christian denomination ...
was his and he oversaw the first stone was laid may 6, 1211
AD, and at the time he was unaware of the
cathedrals of Laon,
Soissons
Soissons () is a commune in the northern French department of Aisne, in the region of Hauts-de-France. Located on the river Aisne, about northeast of Paris, it is one of the most ancient towns of France, and is probably the ancient capital ...
or
Chartres
Chartres () is the prefecture of the Eure-et-Loir department in the Centre-Val de Loire region in France. It is located about southwest of Paris. At the 2019 census, there were 170,763 inhabitants in the metropolitan area of Chartres (as d ...
, which his successors would go on to emulate.
Jean of Orbais began the construction of the Cathedral from the side by the apse, the southern pan of the transept and the choir, followed by much of the nave, until the fourth span and high walls of the aisles were completed with their windows.
Le Labyrinth.
/ref>
He was replaced as architect in 1228 by Jean-Le-Loup. It is not known why he ceased to work towards 1228 AD, although it is thought he was dismissed due to conflict with the newly appointed Archbishop Henri de Braisne
Henri de Dreux (1193–1240) was Archbishop of Reims from 1227 to 1240. He is commemorated by a window in Reims Cathedral.
He was an active builder, but his local taxation provoked a revolt in 1233.
He was a son of Robert II of DreuxA History of ...
.
He died in 1231 in Reims
Reims ( , , ; also spelled Rheims in English) is the most populous city in the French department of Marne, and the 12th most populous city in France. The city lies northeast of Paris on the Vesle river, a tributary of the Aisne.
Founded by ...
.
References
External links
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Jean Dorbais
13th-century French architects
Gothic architects
Architects from Reims
Year of birth uncertain
1231 deaths