The Window at St. Monica's.

The Window at St. Monica's  Tom Cullen Acrylic on canvas 21x15cm 2020

Stain Glass...Memories...Vivid Colours.. Heavenly feelings.. A sense of timelessness.. These were my earliest recollections of the stain glass windows of my local Dominican church in Dublin. I was about two or three years old. Some years later, as a boy I would visit the nearby Hugh Lane Gallery and be absorbed by the work of Harry Clarke and Evie Hone whose work was shown in a darkened room dedicated to artists who worked in the medium of stain glass.

Close up Nativity Window, St Monica's

St. Monica's Church is located in Palmers Green, North London. It was built in 1914 and the stain glass windows were installed in the late 1920's following an anonymous donation. They are the work of Franz Mayer of Munich and London. There are five windows in the nave and an additional in the Sacred Heart Chapel to the left. These depict the life of Jesus from birth to resurrection.

The window nearest to to the front of the church depicts the traditional nativity scene. We see the Holy Family - Mary, Joseph and the baby Jesus surrounded by the Magi and two shepherds. The Magi commonly known as the "Three Wise Men" were noble pilgrims from the East to whom it is said  followed the light of a guiding star, leading them to the place where Jesus was born. In the western churches they are given the names of Melchior, Caspar and Balthazer.

Full view Nativity Window

In recent times, I have sat and spent some time with this particular window.  As an abstract artist, I am pulled in by the vivid colours which have sustained for a hundred years or so. Ultramarine blues, vermillion and deep reds, peppermint greens which contrast with burnt sienna's, lilacs, yellows and oranges painted in a way we can almost touch real gold. Around this nativity scene, I see shepherds, one holding a stick, the other grasping a sheep swung around his neck. An ox and a donkey show their faces, olive trees enhance the background left. To the right, the star of Bethlehem shines brightly with a beam that touches the Magi's halo. We experience this birth with a sense of harmony between humankind and all earthly things.

Detail from The Window At St. Monica's

This year has been far from harmonious for most of us. The contagious and deadly coronavirus has resulted in 61.4 million cases and 1.4 m deaths worldwide to date. We have lived a life of face masks, lockdowns and separation. Families have lost love ones, people have lost jobs. There seemed little hope until last month when three new vaccines were announced.

Above: Detail 

So, when I look through this window at St. Monica's and I see some light shining through, I sense some hope for the future. I started this small acrylic painting in August. Inspired by the mark the window left inside of me, it remained unfinished up to last month. It has several layers underneath. I had given up totally until I decided to mask off  two horizontals and paint the red glaze. As I lifted the masking tape the underlying colours shone through. It had worked and my memory of the window at St. Monica's was complete.

It is worth remembering the Magi quietly avoided Herod on their return when they knew he could not be trusted. The light of the star had got them to their destination and on their return they followed the internal "light" of their spirit.

So, I hope this painting inspired by the window at St. Monica's brings light and hope for better things to come this Christmas.