The Bunyan Window, designed by John Lisle for Charles Eamer Kempe, third window in the north nave aisle in Southwark Cathedral, 1900. Below a roundel portrait of great Puritan author, John Bunyan, this window shows Christian, the hero of Bunyan's The Pilgrim's Progess, dressed in his pilgrim garb and standing at the foot of the cross, with one arm stretched out in supplication, while angels observe him. As in the other windows in this series, the author celebrated here had a connection with Southwark. Horace Monroe writes: "John Bunyan, the tinker of Bedford, is connected with Southwark as the preacher who drew crowds to hear his sermons at the Zoar Chapel in Southwark Street" (52).
The lower part of the window.
The richly robed angel in the lower part of the window holds a crucifix and an illuminated book. The text ovrrhead reads, "By grace are ye saved through faith." The inscription explains that the window was a gift of the "Children of the Church," who delighted "in the Great Allegory, The Pilgrim's Progress.
First photograph on the left by Colin Price. The two details, text and formatting by Jacqueline Banerjee. You may use the images without prior permission for any scholarly or educational purpose as long as you (1) credit Colin Price and (2) link your document to this URL in a web document or cite the Victorian Web in a print one. Click on the images to enlarge them.
Related Material
- Southwark Cathedral (this gives links to other stained glass windows there)
Bibliography
Barlow, Adrian. Espying Heaven: The Stained Glass of Charles Eamer Kempe and His Artists. Cambridge: Lutterworth, 2019. [Review]
Eberhard, Robert. "Stained Glass Windows at the Cathedral, Southwark, Inner London." Church Stained Glass Windows. Web. 23 February 2019.
Monroe, Horace. The Story of Southwark Cathedral. London: Raphael Tuck, 1933.
Created 19 February 2019