North East Bay 3 | The Windows of Rowan LeCompte

Photo – Peter Swanson

Northeast, Bay 3

1961 – Church of the Incarnation, Washington, DC

This modest, unassuming church on the eastern edge of our nation’s capital is completely illuminated with windows by Irene and Rowan that create an almost mystical light inside the church nave. Irene may have been the principal designer here, since friends of the family have told us that she really loved to let the glass be its unadorned self in windows. That is certainly true here. The artisan-quality glass in all of these windows is simple, yet exquisite in its texture and its warm, rich color.

This is the third bay of windows from the altar on the northeast side of the church. The deep reds are beautiful here, but they never quite take over the space as they do on the southwest side. In the left lancet, the yellows and oranges are already coming back as part of the overall color transition on this wall. By the time the right lancet is reached, the window is much brighter. It is interesting to note is that a few squares in the window use two pieces of glass for a color transition, but in other squares the color transition occurs within a single piece of glass.

Iconography

These windows are abstract and unadorned in design, and we have not yet uncovered any documentation to explain why they were created in this style. The fact that the outside world is visible through the windows is part of their beauty, and through them it is possible to see cars driving by and the weather shifting, with leaves blowing in the wind and clouds gathering or sailing by. Merely giving worshipers the opportunity to be bathed in this beautiful light, with the world outside continually bringing them new perspectives, may have been the simple intent of these two consummate artists.