Jean de Chelles

Jean de Chelles or Jehan de Chelles was one of the architects of the Notre- Dame de Paris cathedral. He started working on his masterpiece in 1258 and finished it in 1265, the year in which he probably died. Pierre de Montreuil became his successor.

On the outside wall of the south transept you can see a plaque from the year 1258, with which he signed his work.

He wrote, among others, the northern facade of the transept, the monastery portal and its escutcheon, and the Saint- Etienne- portal. The southern part of the transept he could start only; this was completed by Pierre de Montreuil. He is also - in addition to Pierre de Montreuil - an architect of the Sainte -Chapelle; In addition, a sculptural work as well as a participation in the construction of the Saint -Julien Cathedral, he is credited in Le Mans.

A relative of his, perhaps his son or nephew, Pierre de Chelles, worked at from 1300 to 1318 at the Cathedral, the rood screen and in some chapels.

Villard de Honnecourt writes:

The great masters of the Gothic are Jean de Chelles, Pierre de Montreuil, one of the builders of Notre- Dame de Paris, Robert de Coucy, Peter Palet, Hugues Libergié, Alexandre and Colin de Berneval. They are artists, scholars and specialists in technical matters.