Church of St Mary, Church Lane, Nantwich, Cheshire
Address
Church of St Mary, Church Lane, Nantwich, CW5 5RQRecommended by
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South aisle memorial window - The Virgin and Child with St Cecilia and Richard Coeur de LionArtist, maker and date
Designed by Harry Clarke and made at Joshua Clarke & Sons, 1920Reason for highlighting
Harry Clarke, the best-known Irish stained glass artist from a generation that was exceptionally talented, is always worth a look. This was the first window I saw of his in the flesh and it is nothing short of dazzling. Clarke’s intricate use of acid etching give his windows a bejewelled effect, shimmering in sunlight.
This window is also full of Clarke’s characteristic Floral Ornament, also known as Fried Onions in his studio. This beautiful decorative treatment fills up the space around the figures in each light of the window.
The figures here are given Clarke’s gaunt, haunted expressions, staring out at the viewer intensely. Richard Lionheart’s armour is fabulously detailed.
The window was given by Arthur Knowles to commemorate his wife Clare, who loved music, represented by St Cecilia in this regard and the Virgin and Child stands for motherhood, and also his son Richard, who had died in World War I.
Clarke travelled to see the window installed where it received an enthusiastic reception. It is easy to see why.
Artist/maker notes
Henry Patrick ‘Harry’ Clarke (1889-1931) was born in Dublin and apprenticed in his father’s stained glass business. He also studied at the Metropolitan School of Art, Dublin, as well as travelling to London and France. In the process he absorbed the qualities of the medieval glaziers, along with contemporary artistic themes to create windows that are some of the most distinctive examples of the art.
J Clarke & Sons / Harry Clarke Studios. The firm established by Harry Clarke’s father in 1886 as a church decorating business. In 1892 the firm extended its activities into stained glass, acting as agent for Mayer & Co, Munich. Harry and his brother took over the business on the death of their father in 1921, by which time it had a thriving business in Ireland, along with overseas sales to Britain, Australia, New Zealand and the United States.
In 1930 the business was split, with the church decoration business continuing to use the old name, while the stained glass activities continued as Harry Clarke Studios. That business continued after Harry Clarke’s death, initially under the management of Charles B Simmons and Richard King, and finally William J Dowling from 1940 until the studio closed in 1973.
Sources
Harry Clarke: The Life & Work by Nicola Gordon Bowe, The History Press Ltd, Revised, Updated Edition, 2012
Harry Clarke and Artistic Visions of the New Irish State, Edited by Angela Griffiths, Marguerite Helmers & Róisín Kennedy, Irish Academic Press, 2019
Other comments
As a result of this window’s location within the church it is usually best seen in the afternoon.
While Harry Clarke was working on this window he was also engaged in producing a window for the Church of St Mary, Sturminster Newton, Dorset, which can be seen here.
This beautiful medieval church, built in a rich red stone, has other interesting stained glass windows, along with medieval stalls and misericords. Particularly noticeable is a north nave window (1985) by Michael Farrar-Bell, filled with birds, beasts and a dramatic night sky.