Left: Whole Window. Right: Central panel.
Devotion, Love, Humility, from designs by Sir Edward Burne-Jones (1833-1898), made by the Morris Co. and installed in the south chapel of St Mary the Virgin, Great Warley, in Essex, in memory of Evelyn Heseltine (1850-1930). In general, the figures would be intended to reflect Heseltine's beliefs, values and virtues. He was a stockbroker, and an important local landowner who gave the site for the church, and substantial funding for it. It was built as a memorial to his brother Arnold (1852-1897).
At the centre of the window, shown more clearly on the right, is a Christ figure wearing a crown of thorns and bearing the stigmata, holding a wooden cross from which leaves continue to spring. It might remind us of the Stem of Jesse, or simply of the promise of new life through the Resurrection, which is a particular theme in the church interior. By his feet on the other side is a chalice. The rich red of the robes picks up a colour theme throughout the church, in all the fruits and hearts of the decorative scheme, and in the angels' wings and roses of the tracery above. On the right of the window is Mary, with head bowed in humility, carrying the Lamb of God, and on the left is a devoted disciple, with his attributes, a helmet and lance, suggesting that he is "a soldier of the Lord." The south chapel is a memorial chapel for the war dead, so this has a special resonance.
The Morris firm, that remained in operation until 1940, was still using its lovely Burne-Jones designs long after the artist's death. They are so appropriate here, not only for the specific reasons suggested above, but also because of the Arts and Crafts context of the church as a whole.
Photographs by John Salmon, 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 or cite the Victorian Web in a print one. Click on the images to enlarge them.]
Related Material
- St Mary the Virgin, Great Warley, I: Exterior
- St Mary the Virgin, Great Warley, II: Interior
- St Mary the Virgin, Great Warley, III: Fixtures and Fittings
- West Window of the church, to designs by Heywood Sumner
- Praise Him in the Height and O Praise the Lord of Heaven, a pair of other windows in the church, to Sumner's designs
Sources
Bettley, James, and Nikolaus Pevsner. Essex. New Haven and London: Yale University Press, 2007.
"Church History." St Mary the Virgin, Great Warley. Web. 24 June 2015.
Created 24 June 2015