Skip to main content

Primary sourceArtifactc. 1165-1170

Crucifixion Window of Poitiers Cathedral

c. 1165-1170

A 12th-century stained-glass window in Poitiers Cathedral likely showing Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine kneeling as donors.

Possibly shows Eleanor herself as a kneeling donor alongside Henry II, a rare lifetime image of her.

Ask Eleanor of Aquitaine about this sourceView the original(opens in new tab)
Close-up detail of a stained-glass window in red, gold, white and blue glass with black lead lines. Centre shows a pale face with dark outlined eyes, brow and mouth, framed by a white garment. Gold-painted figure visible at left.
Crucifixion Window (detail), Poitiers Cathedral, c. 1165-1170.

About this source

What it is

This stained-glass window in Poitiers Cathedral was completed around 1165-1170, one of the earliest of its kind in France. It probably depicts King Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine kneeling as donors who paid for it, set within scenes that include the Crucifixion and Ascension of Christ.

Why it matters

As a rare image made during Eleanor's own lifetime, it offers a glimpse of how she and Henry II wished to present themselves publicly, as pious donors to the church, in her own city of Poitiers, capital of her duchy of Aquitaine.

Look closer

  • Why might a ruling couple choose to appear as small kneeling figures within a much larger religious scene?
  • What does commissioning a stained-glass window tell us about Eleanor and Henry's relationship with the Church?
  • How does an image made for a cathedral differ from a portrait made just to record someone's appearance?

This artifact is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Eleanor of Aquitaine on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

More Eleanor of Aquitaine sources

Meet the AI Eleanor of Aquitaine →
Close view of a recumbent stone effigy with painted surfaces. A carved hand holds an open book, and a carved head rests on a pillow with a cushion-like support behind it. Dark background.Sculpture

Primary source

Grave of Eleanor of Aquitaine

A rock crystal vase with a textured, faceted glass body set in gilded metal mounts decorated with filigree, blue and purple gemstones, and an inscription band around the foot. Displayed on a pale green surface in a museum.Artifact

Primary source

Crystal Vase of Eleanor of Aquitaine

c. 600 (object), given in the 12th century

Medieval manuscript page with a painted illumination: a woman in a blue robe with a gold belt stands within a gold-leafed arch framed in blue, raising one hand, beneath a red and blue building and red brick towers. Page number 56 at top left.Book

Primary source

Psalter of Eleanor of Aquitaine

c. 1180

Aerial oblique view of the Fontevraud Abbey complex: a large monastic building with steep slate roofs, a tall white stone tower on the left, a green cloister garden in the center, surrounded by outbuildings, walls, trees and a paved courtyard.Artifact

Primary source

Royal Abbey of Fontevraud

Robert of Arbrissel · founded 1101

Two painted stone effigies lying side by side on a tomb in a church. The figure on the left wears a veil and holds an open book. The figure on the right wears a crown and rests its head on a stone cushion. Both have traces of red and blue paint.Sculpture

Secondary source

Tomb Effigy of Henry II at Fontevraud

c. 1200

Ready when you are

Start chatting with Eleanor of Aquitaine now.

20 messages free · No credit card · Available in 50+ languages.

Trial Humy for freeGet a quote for institutions