Church of St Mary, Lamberhurst, Kent
Address
Church of St Mary, Church Lane, Tunbridge Wells, Kent TN3 8DURecommended by
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South wall - Angel announcing the birth of Jesus to the shepherdsArtist, maker and date
Designed by John Piper and made by David Wasley, 1985Reason for highlighting
This is a figurative window that nonetheless looks very modern. In one of his last designs, Piper shows his genius by taking the familiar theme of the Annunciation to the Shepherds and animating it with a rare energy. The shepherds are frightened out of their wits, which is certainly how the gospel describes the encounter.
Artist/maker notes
John Egerton Christmas Piper CH (1903 –92) was one of Britain’s leading artists, who worked in a variety of media. He began working in stained glass in partnership with Patrick Reyntiens, whom he had met through John and Penelope Betjeman, in 1954.
Source:
John Piper and stained glass by June Osborne (Sutton Publishing, 1997) which includes the text of John Piper’s book Stained Glass: art or anti-art (Studio Vista, 1968)
John Piper on Wikipedia
David Wasley (b 1949) studied painting at the Central School of Art and Design and the Royal College of Art specialising in sculpture and print making. Later he joined the studio of Patrick Reyntiens for seven years and made studio windows to John Piper’s designs.
Since 1984 he has been making his own studio glass and painting
Source: The pamphlet ‘John Piper and the Church: A stained glass tour of selected local churches’, produced in conjunction with an exhibition at Dorchester Abbey in 2012.