tree of Jesse

Christian art theme

Also known as: Jesse tree

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July 14, 2026

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The "Tree of Jesse" is a theme in Christian art that visually represents the genealogy of Jesus Christ. It originates from Jesse, the father of King David, as mentioned in the Hebrew Bible. Medieval artists depicted Jesus' family tree starting with Jesse, often in stained-glass windows known as Jesse windows. This genealogical representation is also referred to as a "Jesse tree".123

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Western painting
Late 12th century
…many figures in the great Tree of Jesse on the ceiling of the Church of St. Michael at Hildesheim, figures conceived in elaborate three-dimensional attitudes, with angular broken drapery. Finally, the Zackenstil—the new, elegant, Early Gothic, jagged style of early 13th-century Germany, most magnificently exemplified in the Saxon Gospels in…
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…many figures in the great Tree of Jesse on the ceiling of the Church of St. Michael at Hildesheim, figures conceived in elaborate three-dimensional attitudes, with angular broken drapery. Finally, the Zackenstil—the new, elegant, Early Gothic, jagged style of early 13th-century Germany, most magnificently exemplified in the Saxon Gospels in…
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stained glass
Late 14th, 15th, and 16th centuries
…are equally impressive, particularly the Jesse tree window in Saint-Étienne at Beauvais.
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…are equally impressive, particularly the Jesse tree window in Saint-Étienne at Beauvais.
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