Bell's Cathedrals: The Cathedral Church of York: A Description of Its Fabric and A Brief History of the Archi-Episcopal SeeClutton-Brock, A. (Arthur)
History
Bell's Cathedrals: The Cathedral Church of York: A Description of Its Fabric and A Brief History of the Archi-Episcopal See
Clutton-Brock, A. (Arthur)
York Minster
The third window is one of the richest in colour in the minster, with
its gorgeous arrangement of crimsons, greens, and blues. There are
inscriptions by Peckett, with the date at the bottom, 1789. His deep
blues on the top lights are particularly unfortunate.
The sixth window is also very bright. It probably contains Norman
fragments. All the windows except the fifth contain insertions by
Peckett.
The clerestory window contains fragments and coats of arms.
In the westernmost light of the second window from the west, on the
north side, are portions of an Early English Jesse window. The wheel of
this window, and those of the next five, also contain fragments of Early
English glass. And in the lower lights of the fifth and seventh windows
from the west are remains of the same date.
The wheels in the clerestory windows on the south side of the nave all
contain Early English glass, except the third from the west. There is
also some Early English glass in their lower lights.
The transepts contain less of their original glass than any other part
of the minster. In the south transept there are fragments of
Perpendicular glass in the east aisle, including figures of Michael,
Gabriel, and St. William, and also Perpendicular fragments in the west
aisle. The lowest row of windows at the south end of the transept has
been filled with painted figures by Peckett, only better than the worst
efforts of the Gothic revival. The figures represent Abraham, Solomon,
Moses, and St. Peter. The glass in the five sisters, as has been said,
is Early English of the simplest and most beautiful design. The colour,
an almost uniform scheme of greyish green, is a curious contrast to the
vivid blues and yellows of the period which preceded it, and examples of
which may be seen in the choir of Canterbury. The pattern is an
elaborate but restrained arrangement of the foliage of the Planta
Benedicta (herb benet). The plain border surrounding the Early English
glass was inserted in 1715. At the foot of the central light is a panel
of Norman glass, the subject of which is either the dream of Jacob, or
Daniel in the lion's den.
The glass in the west aisle of the north transept is modern, and of the
worst character. A window by Mr Kempe in the east aisle is almost the
only good example of modern glass in the minster.
The glass in the lancets above the five sisters is modern.
The glass in the choir is almost wholly Perpendicular. As in the nave,
it is very fragmentary and disordered. The change in the character of
the design will be easily noticed. The Perpendicular glass is not so
clear and delicate in colour, and the architectural and other patterns
are less pronounced. As has been said before, however, this glass,
regarded simply as decorative, is perhaps superior even to that in the
nave.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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