A Gothic fantasy, The Feast of the Blessed Virgin, inspired by Reims Cathedral

The Cathedral depicted in Professor Richardson's fantasy is possibly based on the West Front of Reims Cathedral, North-East of Paris. The cathedral was begun in 1211 under the auspices of Archbishop Aubry de Humbert and the architect Jean d'Orbais, and was modeled on Chartres Cathedral (circa 1194). Professor Richardson's cathedral contains distinctive elements which relate to the West Front such as the rose window and the pinnacled crocket between the two towers. Professor Richardson shows the procession of the The Feast of the Blessed Virgin Mary which further connects the fantasy to Reims, as the central portal in the West Front is dedicated to the Virgin Mary.
The ecclesiastical buildings depicted on either side of the cathedral are presumably imaginary structures inspired by original, as yet unidentified buildings.

We are grateful to John Harris and Charles Hind for their assistance with cataloguing the group of architectural fantasies.