An account of the Decorated glass at Oxford will be found at p. 129.
Having visited Merton, and, by examining its Decorated glass, concluded
our second tour, we must address ourselves to the third one, devoted to
the Perpendicular period. Nothing could be easier. We have only to walk
as far as New College to see how the forces of transition performed
their work, and then to All Souls' Chapel to study the fully fledged
product of the Perpendicular glazier.
New College is picturesquely alluring to all who visit Oxford, thanks to
the agreeable manner in which the college buildings are set off by
attractive gardens enclosed within remnants of the ancient city walls.
This corner of the old ramparts owes its preservation to a covenant for
its upkeep between the Founder and the city. We glass-lovers will remark
that in similar fashion a very advantageous placing enhances the beauty
of the glass which we are about to see. It is contained in the
antechapel, which adjoins the chapel proper on the west and opens into
it. A dim passage-way leads to the small portal by which one enters,
admirably preparing our eyes to appreciate the beauty of the glazing.
There is also some later work in the main chapel, but it is fortunately
shut off from our observation by a conveniently placed screen, thus
enabling us to enjoy the antechapel and its glazing without any
distraction. The original glass that once filled the large window in the
middle of the antechapel's west wall is now stored in boxes at that
other foundation of William of Wykeham, Winchester College, Winchester,
having been removed to make room for an ambitious effort by Sir Joshua
Reynolds. All the other embrasures retain the original glazing, given
about 1386 by the Founder, whose name frequently appears thereon. Let us
not be drawn into the violent discussion which has so long raged on the
subject of the rival merits of the earlier and later glazing. All
glaziers condemn the work of the great Sir Joshua, and even most art
critics agree with Horace Walpole that the painting of this large
subject is "washy." He has confined himself to the use of browns, greys,
and some pink in depicting the Virtues and the other figures assembled
in his composition; but, as was to be expected from one who was only a
painter, and not also a glazier, he used so much paint as to interfere
perceptibly with the translucence of the glass. Nevertheless, the
writer, although he vastly prefers the earlier windows, frankly states
that he began by liking the west one best. The advantage which stained
glass windows have over paintings on canvas is that while the latter
have only colour the former have both colour and light. For this reason
one should be disposed to admit a great deal on behalf of this picture
painted by a great artist on a medium which adds light to his colour.
There is no good reason why we should quarrel with a man who begins by
preferring Sir Joshua's window, because it may lead him to become
interested in stained glass. Almost every one unlearned in our subject
admires this west window;--if he will but come with us we will promise
sooner or later to open his eyes to far greater beauties, which he will
grow to love in the seeing! For those who have learned to enjoy the
Wykeham windows more than their showier neighbour, it is suggested that
there are two points from which to view them so as to eliminate the
contrasting presence of the later one--either stand close to the small
entrance door, or else near the chapel screen so that one of the columns
comes between you and the west window. Thus one sees only the Wykeham
glazing, and that, too, in a frame of mind receptive of the Latin
legends which unceasingly beseech us to pray for him. This glass is
not only beautiful, but very important, because it clearly illustrates
the transition from the Decorated to the Perpendicular. The sixty-four
personages ensconced in their canopies, while possessing traits of both
schools, demonstrate clearly how naturally one led into the other. The
figures are not yet well drawn, are rudely posed, and are still strongly
coloured. Although there is a general flatness in the composition,
indicative of the earlier school, tapestries are already hung across the
backs of the little niches, and handsome ones too, with crowned initials
powdered over them. So, too, pedestals appear below the canopies,
although, of course, not yet so complete or elaborate as those to be
seen presently in All Souls' Chapel. The canopies themselves are more
robust and not so finished as will be later encountered. An examination
of the method of shading also bears witness to a transition, for there
is observable both smear and stipple work. The learned Winston makes
a very interesting argument to the effect that the panels have been
considerably changed about since their original placing, based on the
seemingly disordered arrangement of the six varieties of canopies, the
unusual order of displaying the Apostles, &c. For us who are less
enlightened, however, the chief interest of this delightful series is
in the general harmony of the colour scheme, the judgment shown in
adjusting the figures to the canopies, and both to the embrasures, and
the graceful use of the written scrolls.
[Illustration: _Taunt, photo._
NEW COLLEGE ANTECHAPEL, OXFORD
Transition window presented by William of Wykeham, Founder of
the College. Stone frames are already Perpendicular: note the
"pepper-box" tracery lights. The glazing, as usual, lags behind
the architecture, and, because of its strong colour and flat
drawing, is more Decorated than Perpendicular]
The dining-hall possesses some interesting coats of arms glazed into
seven of its large lights. Half of these are contemporaneous with the
Founder, among them appearing his arms and those of his See; the other
half are of the time of Henry VIII.
From "the High" we enter All Souls' College, undaunted by the scathing
comment of Humphrey Prideaux in 1674, that "All Souls' is a scandalous
place and full of fast gentlemen." Without stopping to remark the beauty
of the full-domed Radcliffe Library, rising beyond the graceful stone
screen that walls in the westerly side of All Souls' inner quadrangle,
we press on to the chapel at the further end. We shall not spend much
time over the windows of the chapel proper, for they contain nothing of
interest, but for this there is ample compensation in the splendid
display all about the antechapel that opens off to the west. It is true
that some of the panels have been restored, but this has been done so
judiciously and patterned so closely after the originals that it is not
only no detriment, but, on the contrary, enables us to enjoy a completed
whole. As was to be expected, figures within canopies meet our eyes on
all sides. Owing to the date of their manufacture, the depicted
architecture of the shrines is very elaborately worked out. Pedestals
are provided, and in the westerly embrasures we find small supplemental
and supporting canopies on each side of the principal ones, which
latter, however, alone contain figures. These western lights show more
restoration than the others. There is a great deal of red and blue
everywhere, not only in the backgrounds, but even in the pedestals
below. The four large windows (each containing a double row of three
lancets) in the easterly wall are, perhaps, more interesting than their
more elaborate neighbours. Especially note, in the one just north of the
choir entrance, the charming group of Salome and two children in the
lowest panel on the left. Most pleasing of all is the scene of St. Mary,
with two children in her arms and two more at her feet, in the
right-hand lowest panel of the most northerly of these east windows. The
glass here is so conveniently placed as to afford every facility for
studying details, thus preparing us admirably for the highly interesting
tour upon which we are about to set out.