How the Windows Were Made

The Bible and legendary sources provide the informational basis for the scenes depicted in the windows. The subjects are standard ones common in medieval and renaissance art expressed in a variety of media: glass, fresco, oil, mosaic, and sculpture. Moreover, the subjects are presented in a common symbolic language. Repetitively used iconographical features include the nimbus (halo), the fleur-de-lis, grapes, vines, grain, leaves, stars, and wings. Symbolic "body language" includes hands raised indicating speech, and standing, sitting, and kneeling postures. The figures are highly stylized and are presented in dramatic, formal attitudes and poses. Their elongated forms and unfocused gazes are reminiscent of Byzantine and early Gothic figures. As stated earlier, the very essence of Gothic architecture is high, rather narrow windows. These windows often bear elongated human forms, without much three-dimensionality. Medieval stained glass reflected medieval painting.

The positioning of the Burnham windows with respect to the large windows of the ecclesiastical north and south transept is significant. As a group, the story they tell begins below the nativity window of the south transept (crafted by the Hardman studios, Birmingham, England) and ends below the resurrection window of the north transept (produced by the Gorham studios, New York). The themes are precursor/ nativity/ childhood events in the life of Jesus along the ecclesiastical south wall of the cathedral, and events connected with his ministry, passion, and resurrection along the ecclesiastical north wall.

The windows are divided into different iconographical "fields." The center of the window contains the main story and is the largest and most visible part of the window. Other portions of the window include the ventilator, border, and the apex or top of the window. The latter area includes a centrally placed symbol --- such as a hand reaching down from heaven signifying God the Father or a dove signifying the Holy Spirit --- that often reinforces the story represented in the main area. Nevertheless, the border and ventilator iconography are not necessarily directly related to the overall story represented in the window. All the borders are variations on a theme of grapes, vines, lilies, and crosses. The ventilators of these windows generally show vines and leaves repetitively along with some symbol in a central medallion. The grape vines are Eucharistic symbols.

Emerson questioned Burnham’s choice of border designs in a letter dated October 12, 1938:

Yesterday I was talking with Mr. Walsh who raised the question whether you are going to vary at all the borders and formal work at the top and bottom and backgrounds. At the moment apparently they are all alike, except for the symbols which are different in each window. He thought it may be pretty monotonous if the whole stretch all the way around were identical. I think that is a danger we may well consider. Of course, if you have enough business out this way to pay a visit you may see the setup yourself much better and make any modifications you might consider necessary.

Burnham answers Emerson on October 14, 1938:

Regarding the question brought up by Mr. Walsh, concerning the borders and ornamental work, at the outset I planned two different schemes of borders and ornamental tops and bases. I did this for the sake of unity, and I personally don’t feel the two different schemes will be monotonous; for the subjects themselves vary so much.

The remainder of this monograph is devoted to describing and interpreting the composition and iconography of the windows. This may be a useful and relevant exercise for several reasons beyond getting to know better these individual windows. For example, the language of iconography is now largely a lost language, even though it has a great deal of relevance in the modern world. Today, a good deal of communication is done in symbolic language that we are not directly aware of, such as in advertising signs and body language. In addition, there is a return to symbols, particularly in movements such as the feminist movement and the environmental movement, that are tied to such universal concepts as respect for people and the earth. Thus relearning the meaning of old symbols and being more aware of the existence and meaning of new ones is relevant and useful beyond the learning and enjoyment that can be obtained by observing them in ecclesiastical art.

The iconographic interpretations of these windows presented in the succeeding parts of this study are based on information presented in three sources, Ferguson’s Signs and Symbols in Christian Art, Hall’s Dictionary of Subjects and Symbols in Art, and Webber’s Church Symbolism. Interpreting the composition and iconography of artworks are subjective exercises. Moreover, the possibility exists of interpreting features of artworks in ways never intended by the artist. Thus, the interpretations presented here simply reflect the authors’ own views of the scenes in the windows, tempered by the scholarship of Ferguson, Hall, and Webber, and, in some cases, by the correspondence between the Dean and the designer.

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