Chapel Window: The Presentation, by Cox & Son (merged since 1881 with Buckley & Co. and more properly termed Cox, Son, Buckley and Co.) church decorators active since 1838, and with an office and stained glass factory in the Strand / Covent Garden area and a manufactory in Lambeth. Window installed in 1893 (see Eberhard) as the east window of the north chapel, St Saviour's, Walton Place, Knightsbridge, London. Here, Mary and Joseph stand either side of Simeon in the temple. Beneath them is some text from Simeon's "Nunc Dimittis": "Viderunt oculi mei salutare tuum, / Quod parasti ante faciem omnium populorum." In the St James version of the bible, this is: "For mine eyes have seen thy salvation, which thou hast prepared before the face of all people" (Luke 2, 30-3).
Above the solemn temple scene is an angel bearing a menorah. Mary has come carrying doves as an offering, reminding us of the presence of the Holy Ghost. It is a beautiful window, enhanced by the rich and flamboyant tracery. It is no surprise to learn that Cox & Son enlisted the services of some top designers. According to the Welsh stained glass website listed below, 1893 was the year in which the firm was taken over by Curtis, Ward & Hughes. However, it continued to use its old signature.
Photograph of whole window by John Salmon. Closer details by George P. Landow. Text and formatting by Jacqueline Banerjee. You may use these images without prior permission for any scholarly or educational purpose as long as you (1) credit the photographer and (2) link your document to this URL in a web document or cite the Victorian Web in a print one. Click on the image to enlarge it.
Related Material
- St Saviour's: Part I (Façade of the church)
- St Saviour's: Part II (Interior of the church)
- St Saviour's: Part III (Pulpit and Altar)
- East window (Biblical figures with Christ in Majesty) in St Saviour's, designed by Rev. Ernest Geldart
Bibliography
"Cox and Son." Mapping the Practice and Profession of Sculpture in Britain and Ireland 1851-1951. University of Glasgow History of Art and HATII. Online database, 2011. Web. 7 June 2017.
"Cox & Son (about 1853-1921)." Gwydir Lliw Nghymru: Stained Glass in Wales. Web. 6 June 2017.
Eberhard, Robert. "Stained Glass Windows at St. Saviour (Walton Street), Chelsea, Inner London." Church Stained Glass Windows. Web. 7 June 2017.
Created 7 June 2017