Chartres Cathedral, Baker Kneading Dough, c.1205–35.

The article focuses on the stained-glass panels in The Apostles Window of Chartres Cathedral, France, which prominently depict bread-making scenes alongside religious imagery. These panels symbolize Christian themes, such as Jesus as the bread of life and the twelve apostles represented by twelve loaves, reflecting bread’s cultural and spiritual significance in medieval society. The cathedral’s extensive stained-glass collection, created in the early 13th century, serves both artistic and educational purposes for largely illiterate congregations. Additionally, the article discusses historical occupational health risks faced by bakers, including musculoskeletal disorders and respiratory conditions like bakers’ asthma, linked to flour and enzyme exposure. It also notes the prevalence of ergotism, a fungal poisoning from rye bread, which was common among the poor in the region.