Medieval religious art was created primarily to send a message to the laity and therefore artists and patrons had a clear idea of ​​the audience they were reaching with each work. Indoor art was intended to educate a captive audience that was already in a religious setting; mainly, this exhibition would only take place during Sunday mass. Outdoor art is able to educate and send a message to all who pass by the cathedral and no longer has a limited exhibition time. From the 11th century onwards, churches began to use relief carvings on their exteriors, particularly around doorways and large entrances. These were used to send a message about important religious ideas and messages associated with that church. After this development, the architecture and relief sculptures surrounding these areas became increasingly elaborate in order to further communicate with a growing number of spectators. Medieval people realized the potential of these gates to reach an audience and send a dramatic message, and by the 1130s portal carving was a commonly used method of communicating the main message of churches. The west portal of Chartres is an example of this evolution of architectural style because its monumental doors powerfully express the values ​​of the Church which were intended to give a strong first impression of the Church's message. In 1137, the west facade of Chartres was destroyed by what some art historians consider a very opportune fire. The church seized this rebuilding opportunity and the west end of Chartres was built in the new style in which many other early Romanesque churches were being remade, Saint-Denis being one such example. The west facade was... middle of paper... on top of an altar because it is visited by both men and animals. Mary shares many scenes with Christ, but her actions are the subject of the narrative presented. She receives the annunciation on the lower left side of the tympanum, bends down to look at the child she has recently given birth to, presents him to the temple and finally sits enthroned with him as the dominant figure depicted. (Fig. 1) Although this is the first instance of a female subject depicted in this way on an exterior church sculpture, the scenes themselves are not particularly revolutionary. Images of a seated Virgin and Child as well as the adoration of the Magi had a long history that aligns with the oldest depictions of these scenes dating back to early Christianity in Byzantium. In the tympanum of the south door of the west portal, these ancient themes are reused in a more significant way..