Faith Of The Hebrews

1991 – Washington National Cathedral – Nave Clerestory 

This is the only one of Rowan’s eighteen nave clerestory windows that does not have a large character to focus a story around.  It is interesting because in the photo gallery below you can see two paintings of this window, one with a large figure and one without.  

Like the water that flows through all of the lancets in the John the Baptist window, Rowan chose to represent the Hebrew nation as a parade of people marching down one side, across the bottom and up the other side of the window.  In the center lancets Rowan depicts abstract columns of smoke and fire. 

Mary Clerkin Higgins did the glass selection, the fabrication and some of the painting on this window.  With the abstract center lancets it is easy to focus on the exaggerated lead lines that Rowan uses in his windows.  In the video clip below, Rowan and Mary are working on a later window, but they are have an interesting discussion on the importance of these lead lines.

Year Completed

1991

Artists

Rowan LeCompte Assisted by Mary Clerkin Higgins

Fabricator

Mary Clerkin Higgins

Location In Building

North Clerestory Bay 6