The Presentation by James Powell & Sons, c. 1917, in the north chapel of St Augustine of Canterbury, Highgate, London. The window depicts the presentation of Jesus in the temple. Mary and Joseph have brought the infant Jesus there according to custom. On the same day, Simeon, a devout elderly man, has been inspired to go there too. He has had a revelation that he will see the promised Christ before his death. Accordingly, he takes and blesses the child, saying the well-known words used in the text inscribed on the window, "Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word" (Luke 2, 25-29). The text above Simeon, taken from a little later in the same chapter of the bible, describes Jesus as "A light to lighten the Gentiles" (Luke 2, 32).
While the young mother, Mary, bows her head in humility, Joseph on the right carries an offering of a little basket of doves, the traditional symbol of peace and also of the Holy Spirit. This window was installed in loving memory of Winifred Mary Ewings, who died on 23 December 1916.
Photographs by John Salmon, and text by Jacqueline Banerjee. These images may be used 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 all the images to enlarge them].
Bibliography
Eberhard, Robert. "Stained Glass Windows at St Augustine." Church Stained Glass Windows. Web. 9 October 2016.
Created 9 October 2016