William Morris stained glass

The main reason I visited Bradford Cathedral recently was because I'd booked on a guided tour of the building's William Morris stained glass. It turned out to be very interesting. 

During a period of restoration in 1863, a Mrs Tolson decided to give some money for a window in memory of her husband Richard, a Bradford solicitor. One of her late husband's friends, John Aldam Heaton, was an admirer of the work of the Pre-Raphaelites, William Morris and his friends, and suggested that the glass should be sourced from them. It was one of the first stained glass commissions the company undertook. Then a second window by the company was added in 1864. 

The windows were installed towards the east end of the church, and removed when this was remodelled. 

The one installed in 1864, in memory of Mary Hartley, was dismantled and placed in a crate, stored for 26 years until rediscovered. It has been restored and parts are now in the transepts, and some of the pieces have been arranged as an illuminated panel (above). The angels are the work of William Morris himself, with Salvator Mundi (Saviour of the World) by Albert Moore, and a Pelican (a Christian symbol) by Philip Webb in the middle. 

 

The seven-light 1863 window, 'Witnesses to Christ', was reused in the new Lady Chapel, but had to be split into three panels. I've put them together again in the composite below. 

Records have survived that detail which of the artists in the William Morris collective created each piece and how much they cost. It's really interesting to note the differences between the artists' approaches. 

The figure of John the Baptist (below), is by William Morris himself. Philip Webb was responsible for a lot of the background pieces, many of which include plants and flowers, key motifs of Pre-Raphaelite imagery. 

Mary Magdalene (below), holding her jar of anointing oil, is the work of Dante Gabriel Rossetti. She has the long russet tresses associated with many of his muses. Apparently, in the original design she was more scantily clad. This was considered inappropriate for the context so he had to add more garments. 

Ford Madox Brown contributed Abraham (below) clutching a knife, with his terrified son Isaac hanging on to his leg. Plenty of drama and emotion in this depiction. 

King David (below) is by Edward Burne-Jones, in a gentler, more romantic style. 

I love stained glass, as you know, so I found this all very fascinating. These are masterpieces, with similar works by William Morris and Co and other notable glass studios dotted around in churches all over the UK. Their significance is easily overlooked. They were meant to tell stories to (often illiterate) congregations. A picture can hold a thousand words, after all. 

Incidentally, the cathedral also unearthed the beautiful altar cloth, above, stored away in a drawer somewhere. It has been authenticated as a Morris and Co embroidery, likely done by William Morris's wife Jane, who was a skilled needlewoman. The sweeping foliage and fruit: grapes and pomegranates, are typical symbols used in the Pre-Raphaelite and Arts and Crafts movements.