Suffering and Redemption
2000 – Washington National Cathedral – Nave Clerestory
This was the last of the original eighteen clerestory windows and was finished in the year 2000. In this window, the deep, blues, reds and purples set a mood of mourning. There is hope in the window, however and this is found in the rainbow in the top multifoil. By this time, Mary Clerkin Higgins, who was an apprentice at Mel Greenland’s studio when the Ruth and Naomi window was finished back in 1977, is now a master of stained glass in her own right and has her own studio. Clerkin Higgins Stained Glass did the color and glass selection, some of the painting, and all the leading of this window. Within the multifoil above is a stone from an excavation of the Western Wall in Jerusalem which was a gift from the people of Israel to the cathedral.
Photo – Peter Swanson
Iconography
From the Cathedral’s book Jewels of Light, by Elody Crimi and Diane Ney, we learn that the theme of this window comes from Psalm 137, “By the waters of Babylon we sat down and wept, when we remembered you.” The green Euphrates River meanders through the two center lancets, which also feature the suffering people of Israel. On the right, an unknown prophet is predicting doom and despair and another prophet on the left is pointing toward the rainbow in a gesture of hope.
Window Details
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Window Details
Year Completed
2000
Artists
Rowan LeCompte
Fabricator
Mary Clerkin Higgins
Location In Building
North Clerestory Bay 4
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Dimensions
15 Feet x 29 Feet
Address
3101 Wisconsin Ave NW, Washington, DC 20016
Produced By:
Global Visions & Associates, Inc.
www.globalviz.com
More Information
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