Angels and Dragon Slayers

A detail from the window below - showing the mythical George slaying the dragon. What the dragon really represented is the subject of debate.

The above window is in St Mary's Church in Painswick, Gloucestershire. Interestingly, it depicts the archangel Michael and St George together - both mythical 'slayers of evil'.

The above window is clearly influenced by the Pre-Raphaelite movement. Made in 1914 by Heaton Butler & Payne, it is in St Laurence Church, Stroud.

Angels are an interesting concept - to some people they are real spiritual allies, to others just mythical inventions similar to the 'good fairy'. This little blog exists to observe and record ... do I believe in angels? I haven't yet decided but I suspect they rarely come with wings and usually look like something else.

Domed ceiling

This photograph does not do justice to the beautiful art noveau domed roof in the Berkeley public house - today in Bristol while waiting to go into the Banksy exhibition.

The Hunt Window - St Winifred's Church, Manaton

Ian Cox who lives in Devon has sent me this lovely window photograph - also the text below. Thank you Ian for making such a splendid contribution to this little blog.

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Ian's text

Now, I know nothing about Sir Frank Brangwyn, but this website does, http://artandinfluence.blogspot.com/2009/01/sir-frank-brangwyn-ra-by-armand-cabrera.html It was he who designed the window. He was a Victorian artist, and in my personal opinion, was pretty good. There is a touch of William Morris in his work, for reasons I know little about, well, ... a tiny bit.
His stained glass is explored more at http://www.frankbrangwyn.org/stained%20glass.html
This website includes a couple of photographs of the window in Manaton's St. Winifred's Church (which are much clearer than mine). The Hunt Window, as it is called, was made by Sylvester Sparrow, of Hammersmith, using the old technique of varying the thickness of glass to give texture and depth of colour.

The window was commissioned by Cecil Hunt in memory of his son Esmond, aged 19, who died in 1927. It refers to Foxworthy Farm, (the Hunt's Devon home), music (choir boys singing), flowers, foliage and family crests. It is a personal statement, in a beautiful setting, that is almost impossible to create today. A modern monument in an ancient setting. I wonder how it came to pass?

The sun window - Great Bedwyn

St Mary's church in Great Bedwyn, Wiltshire

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Today, after a long enjoyable walk we (friends) stopped off to have a look at the lovely church in Great Bedwyn. The above window is over the main entrance into the church though I couldn't make out the face of the central figure in the window as the late afternoon sun dazzled through. When I moved I noticed that the face, although Christian in tradition, is actually depicted as a sun-god. An interesting moment.

Detail from the front window of St Mary's at Great Bedwyn