Notre Dame cathedral unveils controversial new stained glass windows

Designs for six new stained glass windows in fire-damaged Notre Dame cathedral were unveiled for the first time on Wednesday, with contemporary French painter Claire Tabouret chosen for a project intended to add a modern flourish to the 12th-century masterpiece.

The idea of replacing the windows in six chapels along the southern side of Notre Dame as part of the Paris monument’s overhaul since a devastating 2019 blaze has been criticised by some conservation groups and led to an online petition.

But the Paris diocese and the French state, which is paying €4 million (US$4.2 million) for the work, has pushed ahead with the idea of integrating a modern component in the rebuild desired by French President Emmanuel Macron.

Tabouret’s final designs, featuring groups of people in prayer and contemplation in hues of turquoise, yellow, pink and red, are unlikely to outrage conservatives or satisfy those hoping for a daring work of modern art.

“I’ve read about the different opinions of people because I want to understand their arguments and also to take an approach that is open and two-way,” Tabouret told a press conference at the cathedral. “I find it a fascinating debate.”

She praised the idea of adding “movement to a historic building that is so well loved”.