Riotous Color

In a previous post I alluded to the problem with some of the best windows by d’Ogries at St Mary’s Church in Wayne, PA. That being the relegation of eight of the finest windows to a corridor at the west end of the church where there had once been a wide vestibule. This means that there is only a space of four feet from the wall to the windows in which to view them. Tragic indeed and a horrendous waste of the best glass.

Now, having excused my poor photography skills – I do have a few things to say about this window. The figure is drawn sharply almost as though it were to be seen from a greater distance than some of the others. Peter’s robes are restrained – simply colored with little variation in tone or shade, let alone the diverting odd bits of color d’Ogries is so fond of using. Where has has gone wild, though is in the bright bits of color exploding all over the window from the wreath at the bottom and the marvelous inscription to the brilliant green inverted cross in the canopy above.

Peter’s name is alluded to in the small image of a church standing on a rocky cliff, while his rooster crows in splendour below. The background “spinach” as it’s sometimes called, is lush and mosaic like in its effect. Notice also how Peter’s right foot steps forward out of the canopied space, just as the artist has brought forward the rooster and the coat of arms, which, if I’m not mistaken, shows the ancient Basilica of St Peter in Rome above the gold and silver keys.

The Holy Natvity

 

In St Mary’s Church in Wayne, PA, d’Ogries placed a series of four windows of the same format devoted to the life of the Blessed Virgin Mary. These are very different in feel from the rest of d’Ogries work on that site. They depend in great part on the windows in Chartres both for color and for drawing. 

Note how he adds his little touches on interest: in the border having a few flowers of very different hues; in the background a few odd stars of differing colors. The background  being repeated monograms of Mary Queen of Heaven. I especially like the way the drapery flows from one figure to another creating an interlocking composition.

(It is miraculous that these and so many of his windows there survived the disastrous fire. Two small windows alone were totally destroyed being near the roof-line, and the great west window was ruined, only the glass being saved and then re-painted by a commercial studio. Of the west window only his basic design and color remain.)

Music

Pope Gregory the Great, shown penning a scroll of chant has given his name to what is the foundation of Western music. This lovely window is in the cloister of the Good Shepherd in Rosemont, PA. Again, the draughtsmanship is superb, though the intense colors are more limited in palate than his others in the church, perhaps this is because of the small scale of the window. I could have done without the charming choir boys, but as this is the entrance which the choir uses and until recently there were real choir boys there, they have some relevance.

This being an Anglo-Catholic parish, there was little to restrain d’Ogries from including the papal tiara in the foreground. Note how the dove of the Holy Ghost inspires his writing, perching gently on the papal cross.

Holy Kinship

Again in St Mary’s Church in Wayne, PA d’Ogries is at his best with exquisite draughtsmanship and as a colorist. This image is of the education of Our Lady, the parish patron, by her mother St Anne. Small vignettes show the marriage of Anne & Joachim above, the Annunciation to St Anne and the Annunciation to the BVM.

Note the elegance of the line and forms described  in color abstraction. St Anne holds, I believe, a gilly flower or carnation which is one of her emblems.

Look to the east

The east window in the Church of the Good Shepherd (Rosemont PA) is a wonderful, lively composition. I recently showed a detail of the central figure, but the whole window is a marvel and the reredos appears as a mysterious silhouette. Silly me, I tried to photograph it in the morning (!) looking east through the rood screen, well, this is my best shot at it. Do enlarge the image as with everything I post.

Mildred

Not one of the more popular names in this day and age, but St Mildred of Kent was, I recall, a Saxon era Benedictine abbess. Here d’Ogries places her in the clerestory of the Good Shepherd in Rosemont, PA. He did the entire clerestory and some of the windows are delightful. Mildred, however, has a bit of a dour look on her face, but the liveliness of her habit laid out in blacks, blues and greens is wonderful and her purple booties are fun, too. Who else would have had such fun with a black habit?!

The Good Shepherd

Again, I hope you will pardon my poor photography. This image a detail from the central lancet in the east wall of the Good Shepherd, Rosemont, PA shows his powerful drawing and the wonderful abstraction of the design of the figure especially the garment. The image itself fills the central lancet while the other lancets include smaller scenes in decorative framework. Bolton Morris, my mentor, felt d’Ogries had perhaps gone too far in making the figure so huge in comparison with the other panels. I can see only the remarkable abstracted glass design – the violets and many reds, the blues and greens all in the garments – and the strength in those mighty hands holding firmly the lamb. And in a canting reference to the parish the rose bush winds about the figure in full bloom.

The British Isles

As I previously mentioned when the church was rebuilt in the late 1960’s many of the best windows were left behind partitions making them impossible to appreciate. In fact the corridor is only four feet wide making it also nearly impossible with my basic abilities to photograph them. Nonetheless here is one of the four patron saints of the British Isles – David of Wales with his leek. The others are Andrew of Scotland, George of England and Patrick of Ireland. This is the best image I could get from the four.

In reality they are deeper in color, but the brilliant sun made it difficult to get a better image. These four are somewhat less elaborate than the previous ones I’ve shown, yet they are stunning and jewel like. They ought to be moved to the apse where they would be better seen, and replace the ordinary studio work that is there now.

A closer view of Michael

In the Time of War

St Michael, defend us in the day of battle – goes the prayer. The series of war memorial windows in Wayne, PA continued with this delightful image of the archangel – armed and defending the troops. Sadly, like the previous window it memorialises one who fell in battle. Unsheathing his sword, Michael carries a shield with the arms of Justice.

The sky is lit up with beams from search lights, a parachute ascends on the left and below an aircraft hangar with its windsock stands nearby a factory. Bombers fly in from either side in silhouette.

With only armor to clothe the archangel, d’Ogries subtly colors the shining metal in varying shades of white and even pink glass and bits that are silver-stained.