Christopher Whall, Francis Cook Memorial window (1907), The Church of the Holy and Undivided Trinity with Saint Jude, Sloane Street, London.

Photo: Peter Hildebrand

Christopher Whall, detail of Francis Cook Memorial window (1907), The Church of the Holy and Undivided Trinity with Saint Jude, Sloane Street, London.

Photo: Peter Hildebrand

The Church of the Holy and Undivided Trinity with Saint Jude, Sloane Street, London SW1

Address

The Church of the Holy and Undivided Trinity with Saint Jude, Sloane Street, London SW1X 9BZ

Recommended by

Rachel Mulligan AMGP (10)

Highlight

Francis Cook Memorial window - Eastern most window of the south nave

Artist, maker and date

Christopher Whall, 1907

Reason for highlighting

Visiting the ‘Cathedral of the Arts & Crafts’ for the first time was simply breath taking. The lights were turned off so we could appreciate the stained glass in all its glory. Silvery whites and grey-greens provide a soft and delicate backdrop to the richer blues, reds and gold-pinks loved by the artists. The overall effect was of harmony with each window respecting its neighbour without dominating the conversation.

The four light window by Christopher Whall depicts The Holy Spirit and the Pentecost. There is so much mastery to admire, from the depiction of waves in the lower panels to the intensely beautiful faces in the complex figurative composition. The white glass shines amidst the neutral greys and browns with the odd splash of intense colour and the carefully controlled stain around the flames and halos.

I particularly enjoy Whall’s depiction of children. I was lucky enough to see the glass when it was on the workbench at Holy Well Studios being conserved. I made a quick sketch of the two young angels whispering together from the lower right of the window. On a subsequent visit to Holy Trinity I spotted them at once and felt I knew them personally.

Other comments

This is an outstanding Arts & Crafts church that is full of treasures. Particularly important is its collection of stained glass, which features , in addition to further window by Christopher Whall, a large east window by Edward Burne-Jones and Morris & Co (1894-5) and a group of three windows by Sir William Blake Richmond in the Lady Chapel, made by James Powell & Sons (1904-10).

Artist/maker notes

Christopher Whitworth Whall (1849-1924) was one of the most prominent artists in the Arts & Crafts Movement, not only through his own work, but also through the influence he had on other artists as a teacher and writer. He taught at both the Central School of Arts and Crafts and the Royal College of Arts, and his 1905 book ‘Stained Glass Works’ is still widely regarded as the most inspirational work of its type.

Sources:
Arts & Crafts Stained Glass by Peter Cormack (Yale University Press for The Paul Mellon Centre for Studies in British Art, 2015)
The Stained Glass Work of Christopher Whall by Peter Cormack (The Charles J Connick Stained Glass Foundation, 1999)