Stained Glass Stained glass developed after the eleventh century when it was discovered glass could be made translucent. It was used to create mosaics of color as a successor art form to the ancient mosaics. Early development coincided with development of the gothic arch which left walls free of load bearing in which windows could be opened. Thus evolved the natural marriage of stained glass with gothic architecture. The walls could hold the glass; the glass gave vivid color to vast spaces of gray stone.
Pictures and symbols in stained glass became popular because they made it possible to communicate the gospel story to people who could not read. But it was many years before pictures became the dominant themes of windows.
In the great windows of the Middle Ages, when the art form was at its height, figures were presented in only two dimensions because it was felt that adding the third dimension destroyed spirituality. The artist would create, for example, a figure of Jesus showing only height and width, leaving the viewer free, using imagination, to add depth, for the meaning of Jesus is different to each.
It is within the context of such classic canons of the art that the stained glass windows of the Cathedral have been created. Most are the work of Charles J. Connick and Associates of Boston, and since the closure of that firm, of the Crosby Willet Studios of Philadelphia. Until his death, Mr. Connick, America’s foremost artist in stained glass, worked closely with Mr. Whitehouse and Bishop Cross in designing and crafting the Cathedral’s windows.
General Plan of the Windows
As you stand at the west end, the symmetry of the full length of the Cathedral seems to be crowned by the blue light radiating through the stone reredos above the High Altar on the east, and the declaration made about it by the trefoil window above it in blue, red, and gold, the three primary colors, proclaiming that the primary fact of the universe is that “God is three in one and one in three: The Holy Trinity.”
The twelve smaller windows around the nave along the ambulatories, beginning with the one in the south wall nearest the transept, westward into the narthex, then across the narthex to the north wall and continuing eastward back to the north transept, depict scenes from the history of the Church, from Pentecost to the spread of the Church to Europe, then America, then the Pacific Northwest.
The large nave clerestory windows depict heroic figures of holy scripture, the Old Testament on the south and the New Testament on the north. Two were installed in 1929, Abraham and Moses, and Timothy and Stephen, closest to the crossing. Two more windows are being installed in the south clerestory, David and Solomon in the second bay east to west, and in the third bay, reserved for commemoration of great women of scripture, Ruth and Naomi. The remaining Old Testament windows will depict Elijah and Elisha, Ezekiel and Jeremiah, and Daniel and Isaiah. Two more windows for the north clerestory are being crafted, Peter and Paul, which will be in the second bay across from David and Solomon, and Martha and Mary, which will be followed by James the Greater and John the Baptist, Luke and John and Mark and Matthew. The six remaining windows constitute the largest single unfinished part of the Cathedral. The Dean and the Chapter are always eager to talk with any who might consider making it possible to proceed with these installations.
There are six large windows in the clerestory of the chancel (or choir). These depict five major events in the earthly life of Our Lord plus the feast of Pentecost. On the south side reading east to west are: the Nativity, the Transfiguration, and the Crucifixion. On the north side from west to east are: the Resurrection (pictured above), the Ascension, and Pentecost. The Nativity, Transfiguration and Pentecost windows are the work of Connick Studios; Crucivixion, Resurrection and Ascension were crafted by Willet.
The Windows of the Parables are found in the two smaller chapels. In St. Peter’s Chapel at the east end of the north ambulatory are the Parable of the Sower, the Parable of the Wise and Foolish Virgins and the Parable of the Good Shepherd. Across the sanctuary in St. James’ Chapel we see the Parable of the Good Samaritan and the Parable of the Prodigal Son.
The four archangel windows were all designed and fashioned by Mr. Orin Skinner, protege and successor to Mr. Connick and the last artisan of Connick Studios. Gabriel, the celestial messenger, stands over the entrance to St. Peter’s Chapel at the end of the north ambulatory. Around the corner, facing the reredos from the north is Raphael, the protector of mankind. Directly across from Raphael is Uriel, Archangel of Light. The mid morning of a sunny day fulfills his role brilliantly as the direct rays of the sun cast shimmering colors on the gray stone of the reredos. When viewed from the nave the effect is startling for the window itself is not seen from that angle. The fourth Archangel, Michael, Captain of the Host of Heaven, is seen above the entrance to St. James’ Chapel. Many of the symbols here are similar to those in the mosaic depiction of Michael above the cenotaph in the south transept.
The three windows in All Saints Chapel, designed to admit maximum natural light, should be seen together. In the center window is the dominant figure of Christ the King around whom are gathered the saints of the Church offering Him praise. Each saint is identified by his or her symbol.
The transept windows were provided at the Cathedral’s fiftieth anniversary. The Te Deum Window in the south transept has as its theme the ancient Christian hymn, Te Deum Laudamus (“We praise thee, O God”), the text of the hymn is found on pages 52-53 of The Book of Common Prayer, and one can match the symbols in the window in the words of the hymn. The Revelation Window in the north transept depicts the Revelation of St. John. Tradition tells us that the revelation was a vision sent to John from God by means of an angel to encourage Christians to remain loyal to their faith and to assure them that God would ultimately triumph over evil. The whole window is dominated by a symbol of the return of Christ to establish perfect justice.
The West Rose Window's central portion of this was set in place in 1933 shortly after the building of the nave. The full window was completed in 1955. It is a classic rose window of high gothic design. The name “rose” was attached to such windows because of the round shape and intricate stone tracery suggesting petals of a rose. The dominant purpose of this design is to sing the hymn of praise and glory in color and light. At the center is the Lamb of God, Agnus Dei, Jesus the Christ. At varying distances He is surrounded by seraphim, doves, five-pointed stars of the New Testament, angels, six pointed stars of the Old Testament, cherubim, and flame symbolizing the zeal and religious fervor of the saints.
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