3. Design for a Stained Glass Window, British, Circa 1890

Ink and watercolor on paper, matted and framed.
10 1/2" x 4 1/2".

Exhibited: Kentucky Museum, "Collector's Choice - The Harry L. Jackson Art Collection," July 4 - October 31, 1980.

This skillful design for a stained glass memorial window was produced during the second half of the 19th century when artists in the circle of William Morris advocated a return to handmade objects. This so-called "Aesthetic Movement" (named the "Arts and Crafts Movement" in the United States) arose in reaction to the Industrial Revolution, when the machine rapidly began replacing handcrafted works of art and utilitarian objects. In Britain, the Aesthetic Movement was eagerly championed by the Pre-Raphaelities, who were particularly attracted to the medieval aesthetic of stained glass. This window shows a blend of Pre-Raphaelite motifs such as decorative foliage in the foreground and prominent lead lines around the figures, with a more "old fashioned" approach to the medium in the upper zones of the window where large areas of white, clear or yellow silver stained glass seem to be intended for the blank passages in the canopy. In this way, the style of the window appears to exist halfway between the work of Sir Edward Burne-Jones, and a more traditional stained glass artist such as Henry Holliday.

1,000/2,000     SOLD: $402.50

Condition: very good, scuffed line upper right, surface soils, small minor abrasions.