Origins of the Jesse Tree

From Soutenus, FAQ Jesse Trees:

CHURCH ART DESIGN
In Church art a design developed showing the relationship of Jesus with Jesse and other biblical personages. This design showed a branched tree growing from a reclining figure of Jesse. The various branches had pictures of other Old and New Testament figures who were ancestors of Jesus. At the top of the tree were figures of Mary and Jesus. This design was used mostly in stained glass windows in some of the great medieval cathedrals of Europe. The Cathedral of Chartres (which was dedicated in 1260) has a particularly beautiful Jesse Tree window.

The Jesse window circa 1150 A.D. at one of my favorite cathedrals, Chartre outside of Paris, France.

From Sacred Destinations: " The Virgin Mary and Christ, with seven doves representing the seven gifts of the spirit. Detail of the Jesse Window, dating from about 1150. It depicts the Tree of Jesse, a popular medieval motif showing a family tree of the royal ancestory of Christ. It is based on the prophecy of Isaiah: "there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his roots" (Isaiah 11:1). This window, the right lancet beneath the west rose, is one of only a few survivors of the fire of 1194 that destroyed most of the previous cathedral."