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Jane Gray
Shrewsbury Abbey, Watercolour Stained Glass Window Design, Jane Gray
1990

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 39 x 19 cm Signed, dated and studio stamp verso Provenance: the artist's studio sale The red sandstone Abbey that resides over Shrewsbury is a welcoming landmark to visitors entering the town and dates back to the Norman era. Despite many renovations and alterations over the years, the medieval and Victorian elements marry remarkably naturally in this grand yet dignified place of worship. Shrewsbury abbey is home to several notable tombs and monuments as well as the remnants of a medieval shrine to St Winefride who was once venerated there. The central light at the top depicts the Trinity, where the Holy Spirit is represented by a dove, God by a vortex (left) and Christ by a lamb (right). The trinity remain linked throughout the design by a blue ribbon decorated with crosses and water droplets. St Winefride’s spiritual strength is represented by the large, central red cross, and her initial rests at its foot. In the left light, beneath the vortex, is corn, and to the right, grapes, both symbols uniting to form a timeless reference to the Eucharist. Below is the ship, a symbol of thee Ecumenical church, and on the right are seven doves representing the seven gifts of the holy spirit: wisdom, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety, and fear of the Lord. Two small roundels with Alpha and Omega (‘I am the beginning and the end’ as God notes in the Book of Revelations) unify the upper and lower windows in the design. The central lower light depicts St Winefride, set against a starry backdrop, holding the Martyr’s Palm and Cross beneath her martyr’s crown. The water that is said to have spewed forth from her decapitated head is symbolically illustrated in the fountain at her feet that flows into the adjacent lights. Further symbols to Saint Winefride adorn both the left and right lights. The crossed keys and inverted cross (left light) represent Saint Peter, and the sword, book, and anchor rounded cross represent Saint Paul, the saints to whom Shrewsbury Abbey is dedicated. The window was installed in 1992. 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:
1990
Dimensions:
Height: 15.36 in (39 cm)Width: 7.49 in (19 cm)
Medium:
Watercolor
Movement & Style:
Modern
Period:
Late 20th Century
Condition:
Gallery Location:
London, GB
Reference Number:
1stDibs: LU795313091502

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