Historic Churches 2023

BCD SPECIAL REPORT ON H ISTOR I C CHURCHE S 30th ANNUAL ED ITION 23 VERONICA WHALL and the Somerset window at Maiden Bradley Jonathan Taylor T HE UK’S historic places of worship are dotted across the country, bringing extraordinary works of art within easy reach of everyone. Stained glass windows are among the most spectacular of these artworks because they are translucent, modulating and colouring light as it passes through the medium, rather than simply reflecting light like paint on a canvas. Likewise, the photos in this article cannot capture the three- dimensional quality of the windows created using hand-made glass of different shades and colours, over- painted in places with textural patterns, and shaped by strong lines of opaque lead and paint to create figurative or abstract decoration. To be fully appreciated, these works of art must be seen in the building for which they were designed, from the inside on a bright day. Fortunately, most of these windows are found in places of worship which are open to all members of the public during daylight hours. And they really are worth visiting. Over the years, several articles in this publication have explored the work of the Arts and Crafts artists of the early 20th century, including the Irish artists of An Túr Gloine such as Wilhelmina Geddes and Sarah Purser, the Scottish artist Douglas Strachan, and most recently Karl Parsons, one of the most gifted pupils of Christopher Whall. This time it is the turn of another of the many women artists who sprang to the fore at this time, carving out a niche for themselves in a male-dominated profession. Veronica Whall (1887–1967) was the daughter of Christopher Whall and three years younger than Karl Parsons. She cut her teeth working with her father on what is arguably his greatest masterpiece, the windows of the Lady Chapel and Chapter House of Gloucester Cathedral. The project began in 1899 when she was just 12 years old, and was completed ten years later. Veronica is believed to have produced the drawing for St Catherine at the age of 13, and she modelled for some of the windows alongside other The two-light window by Veronica Whall at Maiden Bradley commemorates the 16th Duke of Somerset who died in 1923 (all photos: Jonathan Taylor)