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Jane Gray
Church of the Holy Nativity, Bristol, Watercolour Window Design, Jane Gray
1997

About the Item

We acquired a series of watercolour stained glass designs from Jane Gray's studio. To find more scroll down to "More from this Seller" and below it click on "See all from this seller." Jane Gray (b.1931) Stained Glass Design Watercolour 25 x 9.5 cm Signed, dated and studio stamp verso Provenance: the artist's studio sale The Church of the Holy Nativity in Bristol started out as a Mission Chapel in the latter half of the 19th century, when the population of hamlets surrounding Bristol expanded into suburbs—the result of industrial growth around Temple Meads railway station. The site chosen was close to Arnos Vale Cemetery in Knowle, where a wooden church was built to serve the local residents, opening in 1865. From the start the Mission Chapel was well attended and grew significantly in size until it became necessary to find a larger, more permanent building to accommodate the congregation. In 1867 the Chapel was moved to a new site in Wells Road, Knowle, and an appeal for building funds started. To save money the new church was developed in sections, and the Mayor of Bristol laid the foundation stone of the new church in June 1870, it was dedicated on Holy Cross Day, in September, 1871. Tragically, during the first heavy air raid on Bristol on 24th November 1940, Holy Nativity became the first church in the city to be destroyed, however, by some stroke of luck, the Tower, Clock and Bells survived the destruction and it was said that as flames consumed the church the clock continued to chime. Approval to rebuild the church was given in December 1950 and the new church was completed in November 1955. The church was consecrated on the Feast of the Conversion of St Paul, in January 1958. This window was dedicated to the memory of the late churchwarden emeritus, Ernest Pring. In this window, Gray incorporated many significant features of Ernest’s life such as his churchwarden’s staff, the Boy Scouts, his favourite biblical text and the Bristol landscape. A cross dominates the design and a star beams light across the whole design from above. Adjacent to the window is a memorial to Phyllis Pring, Ernest’s wife, also designed by Gray. This window was installed in 1998. Jane Gray A.R.C.A. (b.1931) is a British stained glass artist. She studied stained glass at the Kingston School of Arts (1949-51) and later at the Royal College of Art (1951-55) under Lawrence Lee. Lee was so impressed with Gray’s work that he asked her to work alongside him on the design of ten nave windows for Coventry Cathedral. This six-year-long design project culminated in their final installation in 1962 after the cathedral’s consecration. Gray was the first woman to become a liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Glaziers and has designed more than a hundred windows in private and public buildings, chapels and over forty churches across the country, including St Peter’s, Martindale, Shrewsbury Abbey, St Oswald, Oswestry and St Mary, Chirk. Gray’s designs mark a crucial turning point in the history of stained glass art as the Victorian style gave way to a modern, aesthetic. In her work, Gray navigates this shift with a style that, whilst distinctly modern, retains a deep rooted sense of the medieval. Despite many of her commissions being for church windows, stained glass design was not simply about religious depiction for Gray, but more about ‘colour, shapes, luminosity, [and] playing with rainbows’.

Creator:

Jane Gray (1931, British)

Creation Year:

1997

Dimensions:

Height: 9.85 in (25 cm)Width: 3.75 in (9.5 cm)

Medium:

Watercolor

Movement & Style:

Modern

Period:

Late 20th Century