Studio: international art (51.1911)

Painted Glass designed by Sir E. Burne-fones

confined to the superb little panels along the
bottom; but it is, no doubt, the rigid severity of
the principal figures that accounts for the extra-
ordinary spell they exert upon the eye. The con-
trast between the spoilt-ruby nimbus, the white-
robed figures and the blended blues and greens of
the background is astonishing, and such that
probably will never be surpassed in modern glass.
With- the lower groups in the same window may
be compared the two panels illustrated on page
104, one representing the Angel announcing the
birth of Christ to the Shepherds, and the other the
Adoration of the Magi. They were first designed
respectively for St. Michael’s, Torquay, and Jesus
College Chapel, Cambridge, but the actual panels
from which the illustrations are taken are at
St. Saviour’s, Oxton. Possibly this window,
certainly all glass produced by the firm from the

year 1881 onward, was exe-
cuted at their works at
Merton Abbey in Surrey.

By the way, there never
existed at Merton a religious
house of the status of an
abbey. It was a priory of
Augustinian Canons founded
in 1114 and surrendered in
1538. But since the inaccu-
rate designation has come to
be attached to it by common
consent, it will doubtless con-
tinue to be known as “abbey”
in defiance of historic fact.

The large and important
window representing the Tri-
umphal Entry into Jerusalem
(frontispiece), at St. Peter’s,
Vere Street, was designed in
1882. The two lights (p. 101),
depicting respectively Justice
and Humility, at Neston,
Cheshire, were executed in
1888. Of the windows at
Rottingdean, already referred
to, the three lights represent-
ing Saints Gabriel, Michael,
and Raphael, were executed
in 1891 ; the two lights repre-
senting Saint Margaret and the
Blessed Virgin Mary (p. 92),
in 1894 ; and the single lancet
lights representing Jacob’s
Dream and the Tree of
Jesse respectively (p. 92), in
1896. The Christ (p. 96) standing and displaying
the Wounds in His Hands and Feet, a figure
reproduced with a companion group depicting
Dorcas, from St. George’s, Knutsford (1899), was
designed in the first instance for Llandefeilog,
Brecknockshire, and portrays our Lord in the
character of Eternal Charity. It was afterwards
executed for Rosslyn Hill Chapel, Hampstead,
with accompanying allegorical figures. The prin-
cipal figure may be compared with that in a group
of five lights (p. 99) representing Christ between
the four Evangelists, executed also in 1889, for
Ullett Road Chapel, Liverpool. In the follow-
ing year two lights (p. 100) depicting respectively
St. Mary Magdalene at the Sepulchre, and kneel-
ing at the Feet of the Risen Christ in the Garden,
were executed for the last-named chapel. The
six - light window at St. George’s, Knutsford

102