Seal of Usk Priory
detail from Christ with the Virgin Mary and St John

Photo © Martin Crampin

larger image

1913

Three-light window with standing figures. The seal of the Priory Church is shown below in the central light.


firm/studio: possibly Percy Bacon Brothers

Church of St Mary, Usk, Monmouthshire
east wall of the chancel

Tentatively attributed to Percy Bacon by A. Brooks in The Buildings of Wales: Monmouthshire. The arrangement of the figures on tinted quarries is unlike many of their windows, in which the figures are bordered with elaborate architectural Gothic canopies.

Texts (with Mary) 'Be it unto Me according to thy word' (Luke 1:38); (with Christ) 'Come unto Me and I will give you rest' (Matthew 11:28); (with John) 'I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day' (Revelation 1:10).

The inscription below in the left-hand light reads simply 'To the Glory of Almighty God, AD 1913.'

The arrangement of the figures consists of the common grouping of Christ, his mother Mary and John. This is usually, but not always, with Christ on the cross and the other figures at his side, and is a ubiquitous scene in Christian art. In this window the figure of Mary faces out of the window to the left, a rather unusual design, and, shown together with the lilies, the figure looks as though it might have formerly been designed for a scene of the Annunciation in two lights.

 (ObjectID=4067 ImageID=7565) Original File Name=Usk_DSC1501.jpg

Record added by Martin Crampin. Last updated on 02-08-2021

 

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• Christ with Mary and John - adult Christ together with apostles, evangelists, saints, etc. 

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• Christ as adult - not in biblical context 
• IHS ('Iesus Hominum Salvator') - symbol of Christ 
• lily 
• Madonna: Mary sitting or enthroned, the Christ-child in her lap 
• St John the Evangelist, apostle 
• upright figures of Mary without the Christ-child 

John Newman, The Buildings of Wales: Gwent/Monmouthshire (London/Cardiff: 2000), p. 587.

The figure of Mary is the same as in a window in St Peter, Broughton, Staffordshire, and another in St John, Sharrow, Yorkshire. Both of these appear to be unusual Annunciation windows, with just Mary present, but without Gabriel. The Sharrow window is listed in the BSMGP directories as by Heaton, Butler & Bayne, the Broughton window is listed in the Heaton, Butler & Bayne 1932 catalogue (Broughton being listed in Shropshire). I cannot find the Usk window listed in either reference.
Submitted by: Peter Jones (2015-12-13 23:06:35)

Photo © Martin Crampin

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