Church of St Mary, Slough, Berkshire
Address
Church of St Mary, Church Street, Slough, SL1 1PJRecommended by
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West end ‘Creation’ windowArtist, maker and date
Designed by Alfred Aaron Wolmark and made by Arthur J Dix, 1913Reason for highlighting
Described by John Piper in his ground breaking book ‘Stained Glass: Art or Anti-art’ (1968) as ‘a landmark, because it is an artist’s window clearly related to a contemporary movement’. The window fulfilled the donors’ wish for a window with ‘a medley of colour…to attract and hold the eye and give a pleasing and restful feeling to the mind……..not a picture but a feast of colour.’
Artist/maker notes
Alfred Aaron Wolmark (1877-1961) was a painter and decorative artists. He was born in Warsaw, Poland, but moved to England as a child before studying at the Royal Academy School. His work is in many major collections, including the National Portrait Gallery and TATE Britain.
Source: Alfred Wolmark on Wikipedia
Arthur J. Dix (1861-1917) was a stained glass artist and craftsman. He was based in Gower Street, London, and active from the 1890s. He also made work by other designers
Source: Source: Stained Glass Marks & Monograms, compiled by Joyce little, edited by Angela Goedicke & Margaret Washbourn (NADFAS, 2002)
Other comments
The church dates from the 1870s, with the east window installed in 1878. However, the majority of the windows date from the 20th century, and are by a variety of artists.
Further reading: The 100 Best Stained Glass Sites in London by Caroline Swash (Malvern Arts Press, 2015)