Infancy of Jesus and John the Baptist

This window, the middle one in the “triptych,” depicts Mary as seated, holding the infant Jesus, while a young John the Baptist kneels before them. In addition, two angels kneel behind Mary and two lambs stand in the right foreground. This scene draws on legendary sources because there is no biblical reference to Jesus and John meeting early in life. John is portrayed as significantly older than Jesus, contrary to Luke's account (Luke 1:30- 37), which describes the pregnancies of Mary with Jesus and Elizabeth with John as overlapping. Gabriel reports to Mary as part of the Annunciation scenario (Luke 1:36) that Elizabeth "... is now in her sixth month ... ." The legendary context of this scene is probably a modification of a tradition that states that John as a child left his parents and went to live in the desert. Thus, even as an infant, he is depicted as wearing the skins of animals.

The theme of the "Holy Family" is a late one in Christian art and is variously portrayed with different combinations of sacred personages. The portrayal of Mary, Jesus, and John together was very popular in the 16th century and John is often represented as being somewhat older than Jesus. In addition, John sometimes holds a cross or, as shown in this scene, is kneeling before Jesus with his hands together.

There is a softness in this scene that is lacking in the windows on either side of it. The poses of the figures are not quite as stiff, and there is a tenderness in Mary's face, now that she is a mother.

Mary is seated on a chair regal enough to suggest that it is a throne. She sits on a pillow done in the purple hue requested by Dean Emerson, but in a scale small enough to respect Burnham’s caveat (see discussion of the “purple controversy” in the description of the “Visitation” window). Mary's robe is elegant, emphasizing the role she was given in Gothic and Renaissance times as the Queen of Heaven. This role is further emphasized by the use of brilliant blue. John's garment of animal skins is a muted reddish brown, and although this is almost a complementary color to Mary's blue garment, there is not the vibrancy of color in this window compared to the other two windows of the triptych. As a result, the figures flow together more, causing their interaction to appear more intimate than formal. This is also accomplished by the throne, which seems to surround and enclose the Virgin, thus bringing the figures closer together. Mary is cuddling her child, and John is being pulled into this intimate scene. In both the windows on either side of this one, the figures are stiffer, and in spite of the vibrant complementary colors, do not seem to interact in an intimate way. This could have been deliberate on Burnham's part, for only after the birth of her child does Mary become the tender, protecting mother.

The original color of John’s garment, now unknown, was not acceptable to Emerson, and Burnham collaborated with L. Stanley Towns (who ran L. Stanley Towns Stained Glass studio, located at 1160 E. 114th Street, Cleveland), to have it changed. Towns wrote to Burnham on April 30, 1940:

I have lightened up the windows and feel they are light enough, also the child John the Baptist.

On May 21, 1940, Emerson wrote to Burnham:

I still wish the costume of little John the Baptist could be very much lightened or changed, but the whole work is melting together now since you made the changes and I am very happy in it.

Burnham replied on May 24, 1940:

... my man can change the costume of the Boy St. John the Baptist, which seems to disturb you somewhat. I will change the color and make it considerably lighter than the present glass.

As in the two adjacent windows, Mary is surrounded by a white light. However, in this window, it acts more as the back of her throne, rather than as a window. Without this outline (or window) setting off the figures of Jesus and Mary, the three figural representations would have become one unit.

Two lambs in the foreground, with their wool depicted in a stylized pattern, add to the richness of the overall design. The human figures form a diagonal line, and, together with the lambs, create a triangular composition. Above St. John is a white flag with a red cross, the banner of the Resurrection.

Placing the lambs close to the Infant Jesus symbolizes Christ as the Lamb of God. In the ventilator design there is the inscription "Ecce Agnus Dei" - “Behold the Lamb of God.” The lamb (or sheep or ram) - a sacrificial animal in ancient Jewish rituals - was adopted early by the Christians as the symbol of Christ in his sacrificial role and, in this scene, symbolizes both Christ the Crucified and Christ the Resurrected.

Two angels pray over the Holy Family. Their wings fan upward and cross over the center of the scene, forming a Gothic arch within the Gothic window. Mary's head is not centered within the window, but bends to one side, thus making the three figures stand out from the otherwise symmetrical composition. Since Jesus's face is not in profile, there is a roundness to His whole figure that gives the scene a soft, natural look.

A shield with an anchor is depicted in the apex of this window. The anchor is an early Christian symbol signifying hope (Hebrews 6:18-19) and has been found in the art of the catacombs and on ancient jewelry.

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