Stained Glass Tours in EnglandSherrill, Charles Hitchcock
History
Stained Glass Tours in England
Sherrill, Charles Hitchcock
Cathedrals -- England; England -- Description and travel; Glass painting and staining -- England
London, that capital of the world, contains no examples of early glass
_in situ_, and it is not until we have arrived at the study of
Renaissance windows that she provides something to engage our attention.
It must not be overlooked that there is an excellent collection of early
glass at the Victoria and Albert Museum which, by the way, is most
advantageously displayed, thanks to the manner in which all light is cut
off save that coming through the coloured panes: it is unfortunate that
the same good taste and judgment is not in evidence at the Louvre and
other great museums. Some of the original mosaic medallions from the
Sainte Chapelle, Paris, are here preserved. After all, though this South
Kensington exhibit is undeniably good, glass appeals to one less in a
museum than when seen in its natural home, a church. Two London churches
have interesting examples of Renaissance glass, which, however, came
from abroad, the east window in St. Margaret's, Westminster, and three
in the east wall of St. George's, Hanover Square.
Westminster Abbey is generally entered by the north transept door, and
almost every one of its visitors overlooks the modest little parish
church of St. Margaret, standing only a few paces off, so completely
dwarfed and rendered almost insignificant is it by the imposing
proportions of its impressive neighbour. Nevertheless, small as is this
interior, it possesses a window which the Abbey would be proud to have,
one of such pre-eminent excellence as to draw from Winston the statement
that "the harmonious arrangement of the colouring is worthy of
attention. It is the most beautiful work in this respect that I am
acquainted with." It completely fills the large eastern embrasure, and
one needs but a glance to recognise it as a Renaissance work of an
excellent type. The three central lancets show Christ between the
thieves, and below, the Holy Women, and soldiers. The drops of blood
from His wounded side fall into chalices held by three angels. The
repentant thief has his soul carried away by an angel to heaven, while a
devil is mocking the other one. On the north side is St. George, and
below him a kneeling figure which provides the only authentic portrait
of Arthur Prince of Wales. On the left is Katharine of Aragon, the
_fiancée_ of Prince Arthur, and later the first wife of Henry VIII.
Above her head appears her badge, the pomegranate. As no stranger tale
could be related of the vicissitudes to which a glass window could be
subjected than the adventures of this window during the 300 years that
elapsed between its making and its installation at St. Margaret's, the
writer is moved to set it out in full in the words of the historian of
that church, Mrs. J. E. Sinclair:
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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