Wednesday 23 November 2011

Cottier's

The window over the chancel is very large. It contains images of a number of the elders of the early church. Each of them is surrounded by text from the Beatitudes.



The North, Rose Window



The Central Light Containing the Star of David



The Jeremia Light



A Poorly Focused Detail of Jeremia



Blessed are the Peacemakers



Oded



Blessed are the Poor


Peter



Blessed are the Merciful


Abraham



Blessed are the Pure in Heart


Jonathean


Moses




For those who wish to know more about the architect, Cottier, and the context of the building there is a very good monograph on it.   It is Cottier's in Context: Daniel Cottier, William Leiper and Dowanhill Church, Glasgow.  Case Study 3. Historic Scotland, Edinburgh 2011.  ISBN 978 1 84917 052 9.

Friday 18 November 2011

Cottier's


There are two windows on the East side of Cottier's that are figurative. They are at the North end of the East side of the building.


The David window is nearest the north end of the building. The figure is set within the geometric ground of all the windows.



The Full Window from Scaffolding




The Full Figure in Two Parts



Tracery



Top Light of the Tracery



Left Light of the Tracery



Right Light of the Tracery

Sunday 13 November 2011

Cottier's

The Miriam window is on the right of this picture. Her face and arm can be seen in the central light of the window. I have no knowledge, but it appears that Cottier used some translucent glass for the flesh tones of these figures.


The figure of Miriam is surrounded by fronds, flowers and fruit packed around her to provide a whole screen of colour.


The Main Part of the Miriam Window




The Figure of Miriam



Upper part of Figure Showing the Masculine Features of Miriam as Drawn by Cottier



Top Part of Tracery



Left Tracery Light



Right Tracery Light

Tuesday 8 November 2011

Cottier's


The East side of C0ttier's has the largest windows with three lancets in each. They are of geometric design again, except for two windows which I will show later.

This side of the building has tracery at the tops of the windows.

Colour continues to be important in the windows.

But the painting gives the windows much greater character.

The detail of the painting and the linkage between forms is well thought out.





The tracery in this window is finished in circular forms.

The top is slightly different from the lower ones due to the nature of the openings, although this may have been a co-operation between Leiper and Cottier.

Again geometry with stylised plant forms dominates.


Thursday 3 November 2011

Cottier's

I was lucky a few years ago to get into the old Dowanhill Church while it was covered in scaffolding. This allowed some unusual views of the glass that was designed by Daniel Cottier for the architect William Leiper.
Leiper's is a very dramatic building at the crest of a hill above the Clyde looking over to the Cathkin Braes. More about him can be found here.
View from the South
Daniel Cottier was born in Glasgow in January 1837. He apprenticed to a company of glass-stainers in Glasgow and studied under Madox-Brown in London in the early 1860s. In 1862, he went to work in Leith as foreman designer; three years later (1865) he opened his own business in Glasgow. His work on the internal decorations and the glass at Dowanhill was completed only two years later.

Cottier's signature on one of the windows

View from the East
During 1869 he moved to London, opening "Cottier and Co., Art Furniture Makers, Glass and Tile Painters", supplying aesthetic furnishings in the most fashionable styles. In 1873, he opened his New York office and also opened a branch in Australia. He was considered to be an important influence on Louis Comfort Tiffany and also is credited with introducing the aesthetic movement to America and Australia.
Location of the Two Figurative Windows at the Northern End of the East Facade
His work was said to be influenced by the writing of John Ruskin, the paintings of Dante Gabriel Rossetti and the work of William Morris. He painted allegorical figures in the Pre-Raphaelite style and was compared to Rossetti and Sir Edward Burne-Jones. Certainly the female faces here show those influences.


The West Facade




During 1869 he moved to London, opening "Cottier and Co., Art Furniture Makers, Glass and Tile Painters", supplying aesthetic furnishings in the most fashionable styles. In 1873, he opened his New York office and also opened a branch in Australia. He was considered to be an important influence on Louis Comfort Tiffany and also is credited with introducing the aesthetic movement to America and Australia.
His work was said to be influenced by the writing of John Ruskin, the paintings of Dante Gabriel Rossetti and the work of William Morris. He painted allegorical figures in the Pre-Raphaelite style and was compared to Rossetti and Sir Edward Burne-Jones. Certainly the female faces here show those influences.
There is much more information on Cottier here and elsewhere.
The lower level windows on both the East and West sides of the building are characterised by geometric shapes and stylised plant forms.

This is also carried on to the upper level windows on both sides.


An Upper Level Window on the East side


Detail from East Window Showing the Extent and Detail of the Painting.

You can see from the images of these windows that the colours were important in the scheme of the windows - as important as the painting.

It is in the upper range of windows that the figurative element begins to become apparent.



At the top of each window above the two lancets forming each of these windows is a figure.

Mary
Each window has a different colour pattern.


Ruth

Mary Magdelene


Dorcas




Abigail




Lydia


One thing to note about these figures. They are all women. Consider that this was the middle of the 19th century in a Presbyterian church dominated by men. This still seems extraordinary to me.

Another thing that you may have noted already is that all of these women with one or two exceptions have very strong jaws and prominent noses. The influence of the Pre-Raphaelites is strongly felt in the depictions of these women.
The East windows will follow.