North East Bay 2 | The Windows of Rowan LeCompte

Photo – Peter Swanson

Northeast, Bay 2

1961 – Church of the Incarnation, Washington, DC

This side walls of this modest, unassuming church on the eastern edge of Washington, DC are filled with windows by Irene and Rowan that impart a moody, almost mystical light to the liturgical space. The principal designer here may have been Irene, because friends of the family have commented that she really loved to let the glass be its unadorned self in windows. The exquisite artisan glass in all these windows glows with a rich kaleidoscope of color.

This is the bay of windows that is second-most from the altar on the northeast side of the church. The transition from yellows to reds is in full swing here as the reds come to dominate the right lancet. The blues and the touch of green on this side of the church seem to add accents and balance to the whole wall. Again the texture in the glass is wonderful. There is a road going past the church on this side, and the moving cars outside produce quite an interesting effect, changing the light as they go by the church.

Iconography

We have not yet found any documentation that tells us why the windows were created in this abstract style. Part of their beauty, however, is that the outside world is visible through them, and the light that passes through the glass is altered as the weather changes outside and cars pass by. The intent here may simply have been to give those worshiping in this beautiful space a new way to see their changing world, made possible by Irene and Rowan’s masterful choice of color and texture.