Church of St George, Beckenham, London (Kent)

Address

Church of St. George, High Street, Beckenham, BR3 1AX

Recommended by

Alan Brooks (10)

Highlight

A series of fourteen windows

Artist, maker and date

Thomas Freeth, 1960-85

Reason for highlighting

These windows by a local art teacher are a real surprise. The apse windows are inspired by John Piper but others have a true originality in their abstract and semi-abstract themes. Colourful and striking.

Other comments

All five Apse windows feature the figure of Christ. The image shown here of the central window has Christ the High Priest in the centre, flanked by Christ of the Passion on the left and Christ of the Ressurection on the right. The second image shows Christ the Judge flanked by Moses and St Peter.

An image of Thomas Freeth’s final window for the church, made to mark the centenary of the Victorian rebuilding in 1985, can be seen on his Artist Page.

In addition to the fourteen windows Freeth also designed the Altar Cross and Candlesticks.

Artist/maker notes

Thomas Freeth (1912-1994) studied at the Royal College of Art, before travelling in Spain and France. He was able to paint while serving in the Royal Engineers during the Second World War, and four of his paintings were purchased by the War Artists Advisory Commitee. (Five of Freeth’s wartime paintings can be seen on Art UK.) After a short period in Yorkshire after the war he moved south to Bromley and then Beckenham, where he taught at the School of Art.

Sources:
The Journal of Stained Glass, Vol XLI, 2017
Thomas Freeth on artbiogs.co.uk

Highlighted dates at this location

1960-1985 (Go to date search)

All artists mentioned at this location

Freeth, Thomas