1907 East Window by Christopher Whall in All Saints’, Killington
A highlight of All Saints’, Killington, is the magnificent 1907 East Window by Christopher Whall (1849–1924). After the industrial production of Victorian stained glass, Christopher Whall was one of the leading lights in the development of the Arts and Crafts Movement approach to stained glass.
According to Barrie and Wendy Armstrong's Handbook ‘The Arts and Crafts Movement in the North West of England’ published by Oblong Creative (2006) the window:
depicts the sudden appearance of Christ to his disciples in the upper room after his resurrection. On the right the disciples who met the risen Christ at Emmaus have just arrived bursting to tell their news and unaware of His presence are no doubt very put out to be ‘shushed’ by the disciples half turned towards them. It … has a bounty of angels and Old Testament prophets in the tracery.
The window is dedicated to Florence Anne Upton-Cottrell-Dormer of Ingmire Hall, Sedbergh.
A full explanation of the symbolism in the window can be found below. We are grateful to Peter Hatcher for providing the photograph. Click on the image to view fullscreen.
The lower subject is the appearance of Christ to the assembled disciples after His Resurrection. The Spectator is supposed to be present in the "Closed Room" opposite to the locked door, in front of which, upon the ingress steps, Christ suddenly appears.
The first and nearest to recognise and adore are those who were also, at daybreak, the first at the Sepulchre, and nearest of all, nearer even than the Sorrowing Mother, is the pardoned sinner, clothed in white raiment, over the red robe of the life which is past and hidden. "Tho your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow." Christ also wears the Crimson Robe of Martyrdom, but all covered over and lost in the white and gold vestment of Triumph and Victory.
Above the parapet, two out of the Legions of Angels, who were not to be invoked to stay the completion of the Passion, now, as guardians of the infant Church stand in silver armour against the night sky, upon which appears in stars the sign of the Son of Man.
On the right hand of Christ, the mother's heart has already urged the Blessed Virgin forward, who presses towards her Son half kept back for the moment by the still astonished and doubting {in margin: St John} beloved disciple. Behind these, St Peter hides his face, unable to bear the first look of the master whom he so lately denied. A number of other disciples and apostles are grouped behind these, reaching backwards into the other arches of the quadrangle, upon which plan the place is supposed to be built.
In front of these disciples Simon the Cyrenian with his boys Alexander and Rufus presses forward as one of the newest of the disciples, bearing on his shoulders the mark of the cross which he was compelled to bear and which one may well suppose became the immediate means of his own conversion; his sons being mentioned by St Mark as names familiar, as fellow Christians, to those for whom he wrote. Rufus, of course, is redheaded.
On the other side, behind the angle of the passage, the disciples from Emmaus have just entered and are relating their adventure to those in the side corridor who have not yet seen Christ. A member of the group in the central room conveys to these the news of their master's presence.
Tracery. The prison doors unlocked by the triumph over death. The spirits in prison have become the great "Cloud of Witnesses" of the fight of the Church Militant.
All the names mentioned in Hebrews XI have been included.
1st light. ABEL, ENOCH (with fiery nimbus - a comparison of the fiery chariot of ELIJAH) NOAH, ABRAM, SARAH.
2nd light. JACOB blesses the sons, JOSEPH (the old Israel, as Christ below blesses the new), JOSEPH (in Egyptian dress) MOSES, RAHAB (who looks down, breaking across one of the double rays of MOSES' head to gaze upon her fellow lawbreaker the reconciled MAGDALENE.
3rd light. GIDEON, BARAK, SAMPSON (leaning on his broken pillar)
4th light. JEPTHAH & his daughter, DAVID and SOLOMON.
The whole surmounted by double arch of Seraphim & Cherubim symbolical respectively of Love & Wisdom.