Maundy Thursday

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

In the early 1960s Rowan and Irene were commissioned to create two windows for Saint John’s Church in Washington, DC to honor Mrs. Linda R. Tompkins and her husband Charles H. Tompkins. This is a historic building and is sometimes called the Church of the Presidents because of its location in Lafayette Square, just across the street from the White House. These two windows were meant to be the beginning of a shift within the church from traditional stained glass to a more modern approach. This shift toward the modern is interesting because while Rowan was a very “modern” artist, his use of simple black paint was right out of the Medieval period of stained glass. Here the figures are defined by loose but deliberate brush strokes, and within each figure there is some very subtle crosshatching on a light wash of black paint. The subdued color scheme is unusual for Rowan and Irene’s windows. This is a beautiful window that seems to have a river of moonlight running right through it.

Iconography

The two scenes shown in this window come from celebraton of Maundy Thursday during Holy Week. At the bottom we see Jesus washing the feet of his disciples, showing his great humility, a scene that is sometimes re-enacted in Maundy Thursday services. The scene is described in John’s Gospel, “So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have set you an example, that you also should do as I have done to you. Very truly, I tell you, servants are not greater than their master, nor are messengers greater than the one who sent them. If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them” (John 13:14-17).

The scene above is the traditional Last Supper, a name that does not actually appear in the New Testament. Jesus’ institution of this meal of bread and wine, “in memory of me” on the night before he was crucified is the basis for the Church’s sacrament that is known by many names, including the Holy Communion and Holy Eucharist. In this version there are only 11 disciples because Judas has already left to betray Jesus to the Roman authorities.