International studio (33.1907/1908(1908))

Saint Michael's Window

The saint Michael’s window
AND DECORATIONS
BY MINNA C. SMITH
The completion of the chancel deco-
rations and the dedication of the new pulpit de-
signed by Mr. Louis C. Tiffany marked the recent
centenary celebration of the Church of Saint
Michael’s and All Angels in New York. The
chancel window was placed a number of years ago
at Saint Michael’s, but the final carrying out of
Mr. Tiffany’s entire plan of decoration worthily
frames the picture; this important work by this
artist may now be seen in its finished beauty. It
will, in future, attract more and more people who
look at good art in an American church in the spirit
of interest with which they go to see paintings or
windows in older churches of Italy or Spain.
Slowly but certainly the accessibility of such art is
becoming appreciated at home. To be sure, it is
scarcely a generation that there has been much art
worth seeing in churches on our side of the water.
But the growth of ecclesiastical art is part of the
spirit of thought in the new century, and already
there are pilgrimages made to many a church as,
even in its beginning, to the beautiful chapel at the
Cathedral of Saint John the Divine.
In his great seven-paneled window at Saint
Michael’s, “The Celestial Hierarchy,” the artist
has chosen a usage differing from ancient usage re-
garding Saint Michael in art. “There was War
in Heaven. Michael and his Angels fought against
the Dragon.” Fra Angelico, Raphael, the old
masters, showed Michael engaged in the very
struggle with the dragon, the beast a central figure
on the canvas. Here the vanquished dragon is left
out of the picture. It is in his hour of conquering
that the militant archangel is shown as a symbol of
the church, which is symbol of the domination of
the world by the word of God. He stands in
triumph on the globe, symbol of the world, with
flaming wings deepening outward. One hand rests
upon his shield; in the other he is bearing the sign
of redemption, the cross in red, symbol of love, on
the white of purity. At the right and left of Saint
Michael, the principal messenger of heaven and
patron of the church militant, are the archangels
Gabriel, Raphael, Barachi, Uriel, Chamuel and
Zadkiel. Above and beyond, surrounding them,
are the other eight orders of the heavenly choir.
As in the Dantean description, “These orders are
all upward gazing and downward prevail, so that
toward God they are all drawn and they all draw.”
The unnumbered brilliant and living figures be-

sides the seven archangels are angels, principalities;
powers, dominions, virtues, that sing their song
with three melodies in the three orders of joy;
thrones of the divine aspect, seraphim and cherubim.
They bear symbols, trumpets, declaring the voice
of God; flaming swords of His wrath; sceptres of
His power; musical instruments of praise, harps
are in many hands; the wheel, symbol of the spirit
of God, and symbol also of his messengers. Above
all, in the central panel, is the cross, symbol of
Christ.
There is harmonic sweep of line and color in this
work of art commensurate with the elevation of the
subject and the nobility of the composition. The
suggestion is powerful of others and yet others of
the heavenly host sweeping in and in, and the effect
of the flaming wings across the window is heightened
by the paling of color upward. Color is used with
utmost freedom, and blends from richest reds,
blues, greens, purples and goldens, to the most
delicate skyey hues, accurate symbolic notes in the
gamut of color. The Saint Michael’s window is


ST. MICHAEL’S SKETCH BY
CHURCH L. C. TIFFANY

XCVII