Ascension Window

1962 – St. John’s Episcopal Church, Washington, DC

This is the second of two windows Rowan and Irene did for this historic building, sometimes called the Church of the Presidents because of its location in Lafayette Square, just across from the White House. The most striking thing about these two windows is their narrow color scheme of brilliant “Wedgwood” blue and cream-colored opalescent glass. These windows are examples of the rare occasions when Rowan and Irene used glass that was not totally transparent. The blue background is almost like a theatrical backdrop on which the scenes unfold. The opalescent glass has been washed with a thin layer of paint and then crosshatched to give it texture and another layer of complexity. The windows stand out in this historic building as a sign that the stained glass art is constantly evolving.

Iconography

The bottom panel of this window depicts an obscure story from the Acts of the Apostles. On the right we see Simon the Magician, who had a reputation for bewitching the people of Samaria. John and Peter have come to town to preach the Gospel and lay their hands on converts so that they can receive the Holy Spirit. Simon is holding a bag of money and asks if he can buy his way into receiving this gift so he can pass it on to others. Peter rebukes him, saying, “May your silver perish with you, because you thought you could obtain God’s gift with money! You have no part or share in this, for your heart is not right before God (Acts 8:20-21). This is an ironic story to use to honor a wealthy benefactor of the church, but it was surely chosen deliberately by the donors.

The upper panel depicts the Ascension of Jesus. Many of his apostles are present and hail him as Jesus ascends upward toward his Heavenly throne.

Photo – Peter Swanson

Window Details

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