There are many ways in which you could describe the stunning stained glass window above the altar of St. Bartholomew’s Anglican Church, just steps from the Rideau Hall. The Rector Ad. David Clunie puts it this way: hidden from public view. He means it in a religious way: “Jesus is here, God is here – but we do not see him.” Hidden in the public eye, however, could equally apply to the work itself, it is considered the top achievement of the stained glass artist from Dublin who created it. Shirley Ann Brown, a professor of art history at York University and a recognized expert in stained glass art, says the World War I window is “important in the stained glass world for two reasons: such as the work of artist Wilhelmina Geddes.” and because of his artistic style and qualities “. The colorful window depicts slain soldiers ascending to heaven and being greeted by saints, kings, famous soldiers – even mythical figures. Mrs. Geddes herself is significant as she was one of the first women to pursue a career in a traditionally male-dominated profession, with her pioneering work emerging around 1910. “Her art,” says Professor Brown, “was personal and idiosyncratic. “Unlike anything she has seen in her contemporaries.” St. Bartholomew’s Anglican Church is a few steps from the Rideau Hall. David Clunie / Brochure In a 1994 article in the Irish Arts Review, Professor Brown said: of stained glass in Canada “. It did not happen then, but Mrs. Geddes’s window – her only known work in North America – took 103 years to be recognized and could still happen. Speaking after a Remembrance Day ceremony last November, Irish Ambassador Eamonn McKee suggested the window – known as “the Ottawa window” in the art world, “the east window” in St. Bartholomew’s Church – “is not just a masterpiece of Irish art. It’s a symbol of Ireland’s amazing journey into the 20th century. “ Mr McKee and his wife, Mary, had previously seen photographs of the window – “but nothing prepares for his presence lit by the sun. It is amazing, such a dramatic narrative, it is impossible to capture its beauty in reproductions “. The church known to the locals as “St. Bart’s “was founded in 1867, eight weeks after the proclamation of the Confederacy. According to Canadian historian Charlotte Gray, who was also a member of the church, a list of cities of the time described the stone building as “a pure little edifice without external ornaments.” It was, therefore, “anything but impressive or attractive.” The window – which took Mrs. Geddes four years to complete (1915-1919) – changed this brutal dismissal at a time when it was unveiled on November 9, 1919, by none other than 25-year-old Edward, Prince of Wales, the future King who will famously resign in 1936 after less than a year on the British throne. Irish Ambassador Eamonn McKee suggested that the window “is not just a masterpiece of Irish art. It’s a symbol of Ireland’s amazing journey into the 20th century. ” David Clunie / Brochure There was, as history records, “an audible breath” from the approximately 200 faithful parishioners gathered for the ceremony. No one had ever seen anything like this huge, colorful and unusually crowded stained glass window. Rev. Francis Henry Brewin, rector at the time of the Apocalypse, sent a thank-you note to Ms. Geddes, noting that his wife, Amea, “says that now it does not matter if the sermon is dull. there is so much to think about in the window. I like to constantly discover new details. “Excessive detail” is a criticism I can not accept, and after all, I live more or less by the window and I should be a judge at this point. I find that the window is growing on me and I love it more all the time “. “The glass itself is in great shape,” says Canon Clunie of the window for over a century. Not so much the framework and the structural support. The church hopes to raise $ 250,000 for the restoration, which will begin this summer. Ireland has already pledged $ 40,000 for the project. Former Governor-General David Johnston and his wife, Sharon, were both regular members of the Rideau Hall, and Mr. Johnston is the honorary president of the fundraising campaign. Many generals, not all Anglicans, have attended the service in the small church. The Micheners, Roland and Norah, had such a love for what their ashes are embedded in a wall. This focus on restoration led, unsurprisingly, to researching the original idea behind the window and Ms. Geddes’ attempt to complete it – a journey full of controversy, argument, and change of direction. Ms. Geddes titled her work The welcome of a slain warrior by soldiers, saints, heroes and angels. Historian Gray says the work was created in an era of “Muscular Christianity, where men fought and women wept.” Indeed, there is a lot of reference to the battle in the play as well as many mourners weeping, most of them women. Ms. Geddes titled the stained glass window “The Welcome of a Killed Warrior by Soldiers, Saints, Champions and Angels.” David Clunie / Brochure The window started during the Great War and was completed shortly after its end. Mrs Geddes worked in Dublin during the Irish uprisings against the Inner Government, a period which the poet Yeats described as “a formidable beauty”. The Duke of Connaught, Prince Arthur, was Governor-General of Canada from 1911 to 1916. When the war broke out in 1914, members of his staff began to register and send abroad to fight for Britain, several of they were fighting for the newly formed Princess Patricia Canadian Light Infantry, who was named in honor of the general’s popular daughter. By the end of the war, 10 crew members had fallen and never returned to Rideau Hall. The Duke and Princess Louise had close friends who had lost a son early in the war. An invitation to come to Canada was given to Sir John Leslie and Lady Leoni. The Connaughts believed that a visit abroad would help the Leslies mourn the loss of their son, Norman, who had been killed in battle in the autumn of 1914. As Lady Connaught had already greatly improved in the chapel – candles, carpets, a curtain for the dazzling window above the altar – it is believed that this visit led to the suggestion that: With the help of Lady Leslie, they assign a stained glass window to the lost staff. Lady Leslie, who was closely associated with the British art scene, offered the supply to her friend Sarah Purser, founder of an innovative stained glass studio in Dublin known as An Tur Gloine (Glass Tower). Mrs. Purser awarded the commission to 32-year-old Mrs. Geddes, then a relatively unknown Belfast artist. Creating the window was a laborious and time-consuming process, says Professor Brown in her article, forcing Ms. Gencs to post her ideas to Ms. Perser in Dublin, who will then pass them on to Lady Leslie and the Princess. Patricia, who also participated, for comment. There was a lot of disagreement. Mrs. Geddes wondered in a letter if Canadians understood her innovative and eccentric art. Ms. Geddes never received praise for such a project, however – fighting depression and poverty – she continued to create stained glass creations until her death in 1955 at the age of 68. Dave Chan / The Globe and Mail They quarreled over the presence of St. Michael, something that Mrs. Gentes felt made the window look very close to the Last Judgment. Avoid putting Joan of Arc. “I do not want ladies in this,” he said in a letter, “as it is intended to be belligerent.” He lost this argument, so he decided to portray Ioanna on horseback heading to the battle of Orleans in 1429. He added King Arthur and his knights, mythical figures in a religious scene. He wanted saints instead of centurions. He put the Angel of Healing, Raphael. the Angel of Evangelism and Resurrection, Gabriel. as well as the Angel of Death and the Angel of Peace. He added the Roman soldier Longinus, who is believed to have pierced the side of the crucified Christ to make sure he was dead. When Ms Geddes said she wanted the dead soldiers to fly in the sky on flying horses, she was dismissed as “very operative”. He wanted the dead warriors to be greeted as men, not as the dead suspended. As Professor Brown noted in her article, Ms. Geddes “created a new male prototype for stained glass – modern, shaved, classic, young, serious and thoughtful figures.” She took her way. Eventually the four women reached an agreement on the overall plan and told Ms. Geddes to get started. They would receive the amount of £ 500 as a commission. Professor Brown estimates that the work today will cost in the $ 200,000 area to complete. Princess Louise, unfortunately, never had time to see the window she had ordered. The Connaughts had returned to England in 1916 and died before it was completed. The Duke saw it in London before it was sent to Canada. Ms. Geddes never received the praise she definitely needed for such a project. He fought depression and poverty, but continued to make stained glass creations. He died in London in 1955 at the age of 68. The Anglican Church has done little to nothing in promoting and exposing its window. “I do not think the lot wanted to be stressed,” says Canon Clunie. “Most clergy do not like this window. “They see it as very militaristic, that it praises the war.” In her illustration, Mrs. ….
