Stained Glass from Canterbury Cathedral at The Cloisters

On Sunday, May 18th, we went to The Cloisters for the exhibition: 'Radiant Light: Stained Glass from Canterbury Cathedral'.  It had been on our calendar all winter and spring, but there we were on the final day of the exhibition crowded in with tourists from all over the world.

This is the first time that windows from Canterbury's 'Ancestors of Christ' cycle have been out of the cathedral close since they were created between 1178 and 1180.  The 86 windows in the cycle representing Old Testament figures in the lineage from Adam to Christ were originally installed in the clerestory of the cathedral's Norman (or Romanseque) choir, about 60 feet above the floor of the cathedral.  Each ancestor has his name on a white band running behind his head so that they could be identified from below.

Canterbury Cathedral's Norman choir.
The clerestory windows are at the very top.  Photo by Blomme/McClure

Only 43 of the original windows in the cycle survive today.  Around 1790 several of the windows from the cycle were moved from the choir clerestory to become part of the great south window of the main south transcept.  For a reconstruction project on that window, the ancestor windows have been removed and restored.  So The Cloisters took the opportunity to bring them to New York. 

The great south window of the southwest transcept of Canterbury Cathedral.
Photo by Blomme/McClure

The six windows in the exhibition are arranged on a tall square column in the center of the Romanesque Hall of The Cloisters.  Several of them have been reunited with the original borders from their clerestory positions for the first time since the 1790's.

'Abraham' and 'Thera' with original border panels as displayed at The Cloisters.
Photo by McClure

The panels for 'Abraham' and 'Thera' were originally mounted in the choir transcept, double hung as shown here with their original borders.  Thera is the father of Abraham according to the Old Testament.  In the middle ages Thera was considered unsavory because he came from Ur which was supposedly a place where pagan beliefs flourished.  The twisted posture, indecisive hand gesture, shifty eyes and yellow cloak indicate this view of 'Thera'. 

'Thera' , the father of Abraham, from 'The Ancestors of Christ' window cycle of 
Canterbury Cathedral, photo by McClure 

His son Abraham is the start of the generations leading to King David.  As such, 'Abraham' is depicted as stable and dependable with a steady gaze and a hand raised in benediction.

'Abraham' from 'The Ancestors of Christ' window cycle of
Canterbury Cathedral, photo by McClure

Lamech is the son of Methusalah and the father of Noah.  In the middle ages Lamech represented a time of increasing sinfulness that eventually led to the Great Flood.  In the window, he is shown in a restless posture with legs and torso in apposition and with a yellow robe that indicated lust and avarice.  The 'Lamech' window was reunited with its original clerestory borders for the first time in over 200 years for this exhibition.  

'Lamech' with original Romanseque foliate border from
 'The Ancestors of Christ' window cycle of Canterbury Cathedral, photo by McClure

In the exhibition there was a section of the border from the clerestory windows of the choir that had not been restored.  Looking at it you realized the importance of cleaning and restoration to these windows.  Almost no light penetrated the layers and layers of dirt and grime and atmospheric damage.

'Jared' and 'Phalec' from 'The Ancestors of Christ' window cycle of Canterbury Cathedral,
photo by McClure

The 'Jared' and 'Phalec' windows were shown together on one side of the installation.  Jared was the fifth generation after Adam.  He is depicted as straightforward and confident.
Phalec was either the fourth or fifth generation after Noah.  He gazes directly out of the picture and holds a scroll which indicates authority.

'Noah' with original border from
 'The Ancestors of Christ' window cycle of Canterbury Cathedral, photo by McClure

My favorite window in the series was 'Noah'.  He is looking up and raising his right hand as if he's having a discussion with God about the logistics of building an Ark.  With his right leg raised and his left hand on his hip, he is more animated and three dimensional than the other five figures in the exhibition.

These newly cleaned windows are indeed radiant.  The bright colors, interesting patterns and arresting shapes catch the modern viewer by surprise.  The artists who created them understood how to convey the unique qualities of these Old Testament figures to a largely illiterate population.