Sparrow, James Silvester
James Silvester Sparrow (1862-1929) was born in Ripon, Yorkshire, and worked in the north-east of England before coming to London in 1890. He remained in London for the rest of his life, working initially for Clayton & Bell before setting up his own studio. Martin Harrison notes that “his stained glass is always very dark and dense, with a brooding fin-de-siècle atmosphere to it”, and quotes that he liked to refer to himself as the ‘Wagner of stained glass’.
Sparrow also made windows to the designs of others, including Walter Crane (1845-1915) and Frank Brangwyn (1867-1956). The latter can be seen at the Church of St Mary, Bucklebury, Berkshire (1912), which is highlighted below, and the Church of St Winifred, Manaton, Devon (1929).
Sources:
Victorian Stained Glass by Martin Harrison (Barrie & Jenkins, 1980)
Arts and Crafts Stained Glass by Peter Cormack (Yale University Press, 2015)
