Douglas Strachan, first panel of a severn light window, MacTaggart Memorial Chapel (1925), St Columba Parish Church, Largs, N Ayrshire.

Photo: Peter Hildebrand

St Columba’s Parish Church, Largs, North Ayrshire

Address

St Columba’s Parish Church, Gallowgate St, Largs KA30 8LX

Recommended by

Iain B Galbraith (10)

Highlight

Seven light window in the McTaggart Memorial Chapel

Artist, maker and date

Douglas Strachan, 1925

Reason for highlighting

This image is part of Strachan’s seven light window, that has been described as “a masterly interpretation of the 23rd Psalm”*, which it certainly is – a real tour de force.

Each light illustrates a different aspect of this psalm. Its pastoral aspects of still waters and quiet sheep folds, contrasting with the darkness of the valley of the shadow of death. In the detail shown, the collapsed traveller is upheld by other hands in the darkness, with white translucent flesh tones against flashes of scarlet and dull gold.

* Buildings of Scotland – Ayrshire & Arran by Rob Close and Anne Riches (Yale University Press, 2012)

Other comments

There is a wealth of excellent stained glass in this large church, much the result of late 19th century munificence, such as

Winfield of Birmingham’s ‘The Ministry at Galilee’, 1893, in the north gallery
Stephen Adam’s ‘Life of Christ’, 1893, in the south gallery, whose colourful palette illustrates the Japanese influences prevalent at the time, and
Daniel Cottier’s six light west window, 1893

20th century additions include Gordon Webster’s windows of Saint Columba and St Margaret, 1977, in the Vestibule.

Artist/maker notes

Robert Douglas Strachan (1875-1950) was born in Aberdeen and initially trained as an artist. Indeed Strachan admitted later in life that he had been slow to realise that stained glass would be the best outlet for his artistic vision. It was a vision that enable him to become the foremost British stained glass artists of the generation after Christopher Whall. From 1909 to 1911 he was head of the School of Design and Crafts at the Edinburgh College of Art, before handing over to his brother, Alexander, due to pressure of work. His windows are found throughout Scotland and England, and are recognisable for their bold use of colour, and strong sculptural design and use of lead. Overseas he is renowned for his windows at the Peace Palace in The Hague, The Netherlands.

Sources:
In Praise of Douglas Strachan by Peter Cormack, Journal of Stained Glass, Vol. XXX, 2006
Arts & Crafts Stained Glass by Peter Cormack (Yale University Press for The Paul Mellon Centre for Studies in British Art, 2015)
ECA Glass Alumni Exhibition Catalogue, pages 11-12

Highlighted dates at this location

1925 (Go to date search)