The Cathedral of Notre-Dame at Chartres was built over a 100-year period, from c. 1134 to the 1230s. It features Early Gothic as well as High Gothic elements and the vast majority of its original twelfth- and thirteenth-century architecture, sculpture and stained glass survives intact. This matter of survival alone makes the Cathedral unusual, for no other medieval church preserves so many of its component parts in such pristine condition. But Chartres is unusual for another reason as well: its architecture, sculpture and stained glass have from the moment of their construction been considered among the most beautiful, elaborate, and intellectually sophisticated examples of their kind ever produced. These qualities have made the Cathedral, in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, not only the most celebrated but also the most studied monument of the Middle Ages. The aim of this seminar is thus twofold: first, to examine the construction history and physical component parts of the building and its decoration, and second, to explore the history of the interpretation of this remarkably complex structure. How has the study of the Cathedral's architecture, sculpture and stained glass changed during the course of art history's history? How have contemporary events and developments in other disciplines within the humanities, as well as in art history, affected what scholars have deemed to be important and interesting about this monument? By addressing these questions, the course hopes to provide students with an appreciation both of the possible meanings of Chartres Cathedral to the medieval community or communities that created and used it, and of the way in which our understanding of the past is inevitably determined by the broader methodological and/or ideological preoccupations of those who write about it. Requirements: class participation, several short papers, 15- to 20-page research paper. Prerequisites: ArtH 101-102. Enrollment limit: 15. This course may be taken in lieu of ArtH 301, Methods of Art History.