Harry Clarke trip (part 2)

This is a continuation of my Harry Clarke tour, with visits to another three buildings in the south of Ireland. Seeing the windows that I know so well from books reinforces the fact (that I also learnt from books) that stained glass is an architectural art, dependent on its surroundings for the impact it makes.

The Honan Chapel, University College Cork, exterior: 2 of HC's windows: St Declan 1916, Our Lady of Sorrows 1917

The windows I really wanted to see are in the Honan Chapel of St Finbarr in Cork. These eleven windows, Clarke's first significant commission at the age of 25, show eleven Irish Saints with small figurative scenes above and below each magnificent, exotic figure. In this chapel, built in the style of the Celtic Art revival from 1915-16, the balance of light was all wrong - overlit inside, overcast outside - so you could hardly see through the windows, apart from the two in the unlit chancel that include the beautiful Our Lady of Sorrows (above right).

Head of St Gobnait                                                                  Head of St Declan

The windows in the nave, all made in 1916, are set in deep stone niches above eye level, the colours and details are gorgeous and Clarke's windows put the others in the chapel, made by An Tur Gloine (Sarah Purser's studio) at the same time, in the shade. St Gobnait is the most eye-catching figure, see her profile above left, with the red and blue beads advancing from the borders to make a background for her flying bees. The borders and the scenes above and below the other saints are filled with writing, figures, patterns and stories. Wonderful to see a grotesque Judas with frightened pilgrims behind him at the bottom of the St Brendan window (below right) and great to know that the strangeness of these characters didn't stop other churches commissioning work from young Harry.

Lower panels for St Albert and St Brendan

Interior of Duhill Catholic Church, County Tipperary

Sometimes it's hard to focus on the beauty of the stained glass when you are confronted with all the other stuff you need in a church. The photo above shows the interior of a small rural church in Duhill, two fantastic Clarke windows and me close to the left hand window, having moved a banner that was hiding the lovely patterned lower section.

Vision of Bernadette at Lourdes, 1925

The morning light was flooding through this window that shows the vision of Bernadette. The two figures are beautiful and glow against a stripy sky with the silhouettes of trees and towers. Zooming in on Mary, I love the way her radiance is surrounded first by rocky crags and hanging flowers, then by a border of bright beads that puts the whole scene into a more interesting craggy shape. Although the other window, with a dramatic scene showing Salome carrying the huge head of St. John the Baptist, is equally good, the balance of light that morning - too much natural light this time inside the church - made it more difficult to read. The tops and bottoms of these two windows are filled with tiny patterns, doodles on pale glass around a bright geometric flower; intricate, abstract panels and borders that really compliment both of the complex figurative scenes.

The Beheading of John the Baptist, 1925: Lower panel

An Diseart, Dingle, County Kerry. Institute of Irish Culture and Spirituality, formerly Presentation Convent Chapel

The six pairs of lancets in Dingle are in the first floor chapel of the former Presentation Convent -on the left in the photo above. They were made to his design by Clarke's studio in 1925 and represent the life of Christ. In comparison with HC's early masterpieces in Cork which he painted as well as designed, it is easy to spot some painted passages, particularly the bland heads of Christ, that were executed under his supervision but by other artists in the studio. However, set in the small, narrow space of the beautifully furnished chapel, these windows are overwhelming, rich, detailed and delicate. 

The clear glass in the borders, tops and bottoms is very effective, and the rest of the backgrounds are filled with flowers, 1920s style in a brilliant colour palette. I love the design of all of these windows, the position of the figures, the groups of heads in profile, the clothes and shoes and the fantasy landscapes in the backgrounds. This is the place that I would recommend for a visit, not only for Harry Clarke, but for the whole of the beautiful Dingle peninsula.

Below: Double light windows 1 - 6

1. The Visit of the Magi                                                           2. The Baptism of Jesus (detail)

3. Let the Little Children Come to Me (detail)              4. The Sermon on the Mount

5. The Agony in the Garden                                                         6. Jesus Appears to Mary Magdalene (detail)

Harry Clarke trip (part 1)

When I first started looking at stained glass I was drawn to the work of Harry Clarke. This was in the 1970s and I was a teenager who collected fairy tale books, so it's easy to see why I liked his style. I found his work as interesting and intricate as the medieval glass I loved, without falling into the trap of trying to copy it.  As my opinions were formed from the pages of books, I realised that it was about time I took a trip to see some of his windows in the churches of Ireland. 

Church of the Assumption, Wexford 1919 - whole window and detail of St Aidan's gorgeous cape.

First stop Wexford, the Church of the Assumption and a 1919 commission showing the Madonna with Saints Aidan and Adrian. For all of the windows, I've shown the whole window in the first picture because it is the originality of the composition - no conventional borders or figures squeezed under canopies - that I think sets Harry Clarke windows apart from most of the others. Obviously the details are gorgeous, but I don't think beautiful glass painting and etching is as hard to do as a convincing set of figures. The face of the Madonna (below), with background patterns circling her ruby halo is quite mesmerising. There's not too much colour in this window and it works perfectly in the space.

Wexford details - left: faces of the Madonna and child, right: Harry Clarke's signature and fish in the sea

St. Barrahane's Church of Ireland, Castletownsend 1918 - Nativity window and detail of Madonna and child

In the scenic church of St. Barrahane in County Cork, there are three HC windows, the earliest is a three light Nativity window from 1918. The face of the Madonna again holds your attention and makes an interesting comparison to Wexford, as does the background to the figures, which is split up in a more conventional diamond pattern made of pale textured glass with blobs of deep colour. My favourite part of this window are the angels at the top of the main lights, particularly the jazzy parts behind the figures where the patterns break out of the diamond formation (below).

Castletownsend details - angels above the nativity scene

I was expecting to see the figure of St. Luke (below) in the same church, but hadn't realised how small (less than a metre tall) and therefore exquisite the window would be. Another fabulous face surrounded by small saints, sections of pattern, coat of arms and inscription. There is a little head of the Virgin Mary on the olive coloured palette in the Saint's hand, another piece of wonderful detail and a great colour contrast. 

Castletownsend - St. Luke window in the south wall of the chancel 1926

Christchurch, Church of Ireland, Gorey 1923 - St Martin and St Luke window and detail of St Luke

There are also three HC windows in Christchurch, Gorey in County Wexford (I've not shown my least favourite window in both cases). This is a large church, the windows are lofty and somehow less overwhelming. However the one showing St Martin of Tours with the beggar and the the gorgeous St Luke has a great composition with a diagonal emphasis, tiny figures above and below and a fabulous dark blue oval of landscape that seems to drip off St Martin on the left. As the detail of the tiny St Luke shows, these are lush 1920s landscapes, the brushwork on the pale glass is subtle and organic.

Gorey - St Stephen and angel detail from top of window 1922

The tall St Stephen window has the most fantastic border, five rows of round beads and lovely inscriptions at the bottom. The commission is in memory of Percival Lea-Wilson, a member of the Royal Irish Constabulary who was shot by Republicans in 1920. Above the stiff figure of the martyred St Stephen, with stones patterning his clothes, is one of those Clarke angels with protective outstretched arms and a gaze, for once, looking straight at you.