The Stained Glass Windows Of St. Matthew's Episcopal Church, Explained.

Last Tuesday, Mr. Hawthorne and I visited St. Matthew's Episcopal Church in Hillsborough, North Carolina. I posted about it here. The stained glass windows were extraordinary. I wanted to know more about them - the artistry, the art, the history, the figures depicted, the method. And, thanks to Laura, I do. I will digress here for a moment. Please stay with me. I have a plan.

Whenever anyone makes a comment on my blog, I get an e-mail alert letting me know. Today, I got 2 email alerts. "Laura" had left two fascinating comments for us on my post about the trip to St. Matthew's Episcopal Church in Hillsborough, North Carolina. When I went to read Laura's comments, on my actual blog post, for some reason, her comments were not there. I do not know why. I think Laura's comments deserve a post of their own, so I'm putting them here, along with my pictures of each window. You can click on the pictures as she describes each stained glass. Thank you so much, Laura, for the information you have provided. I apologize for Blogger not having your comments show up in the comment section. Sometimes Blogger can be very wonky. Maybe your comments will show up later. Maybe not. I thought your input was quite interesting and valuable, and I wanted to share with my readers. Here are Laura's comments:

Laura has left a new comment on your post "Rosie And Mr. Hawthorne Visit St. Matthew's Episco...": Those are very exquisite windows. They were made by several different artists. Stained glass is story telling. When ever you see a figure that has a cross in his halo, you know that is Christ. The first window has the Alpha and Omega on each side of Christ. This style window was popular in the 1960s. All the glass in this window has been painted and fired in a kiln. Stained glass paint is traditionally black or brown paint on colored glass. It is done to give more details that otherwise could not be shown. Each layer of paint is fired in a kiln. The paint itself is made of ground up glass and lead. Once fired it is permanently fused into the surface of the glass. The second window is Christ with the Children. At the bottom Jesus is raising the daughter of Lazarus. The first two windows are more in the lines of Neo Gothic style. The fingers are elongated. The artist is not trying to be anatomically correct. All the glass in this window has been painted and fired in a kiln. The third window is much older (early 1900s) than the first two. It shows Mary with the Christ child. All the glass in this window has been painted and fired in a kiln. Notice the colors are not as vibrant as the first two. Newer technology has allowed scientists to create a larger pallet of colors. When you see windows that are more monochromatic, you automatically think they are older.

The fourth window shows Jesus the Good Shepherd. The rendition is much more like a Pilgrim. At the top are the keys to the kingdom and a shepherd's crook. All the glass in this window has been painted and fired in a kiln. Notice that in this window that the painted blue glass behind Christ has some faded parts. This window they need to be careful when cleaning it. Older painted glass was not always fired hot enough and or long enough to make the paint permanently fused into the glass. The old artists did not have the technology that we do -- like digital pyrometers. The fifth window (the triptych) has the symbols for Mathew, Mark, Luke and John. Luke is shown by the ox on the top left, John is shown by the eagle on the bottom left, Matthew is shown by the angel on the top right, and Mark is shown by the lion on the bottom right. In the center window is the dove, the cross and the lamb of God. The descending dove represents Baptism. At the very top of the center window, ... (it is hard to see for sure), it looks like there is a compass. If that is a compass, then this windows was probably donated by the Masons or given in honor of a Mason. Again, all the glass in this window has been painted. They need to be careful when cleaning it because there are some areas where the paint has faded. Posted by Laura to Kitchens Are Monkey Business at September 19, 2009 5:32 PM Laura has left a new comment on your post "Rosie And Mr. Hawthorne Visit St. Matthew's Episco...":

The sixth window is St. Matthew writing the Gospel. Most but not all of this window has been painted. The seventh window is a real gem! This window has been done in the Tiffany style. The only areas of this windows that have been painted are the body parts, lettering and music. This painted body parts look more like cold painting. That means that this painting has NOT been fired in a kiln. The paint is NOT permanently fused into the glass. I have seen churches where well meaning members have cleaned their windows and wiped off the faces. This window should only be touched by professionals. Another interesting thing about this window is the use of drapery glass. Drapery glass is thick glass that actually has folds in the glass. It is used to represent the folds in the clothes. It is very typical when using drapery glass to have another layer of glass behind it. This type of window usually has a lot of dirt build up between the glass. The eighth window is again Jesus. At the bottom is Jesus at the home of Martha and Mary. Each piece of glass has been painted and fired. The last window is a very nice rendition of the three wise men visiting the Christ child - the Nativity. Each piece has been painted and fired. The dove at the top has an olive branch in his beak which represents peace. Notice the halos on Mary and Joseph do not have the cross in it where as the halo on Jesus does have the cross. Very nice windows. Thanks for posting the photos. Laura Goff Parham SOTAGLASS.com Posted by Laura to Kitchens Are Monkey Business at September 19, 2009 5:32 PM Laura, I thank you so much for commenting, describing, de-mystifying, mystifying, sharing, and explaining.