Digital Guide – The Windows of St Mary Magdalene’s Church
Explore the magnificent stained glass of Henry Holiday.
The stunning stained-glass windows in the nave and chancel were designed by Henry Holiday (1839–1927) a painter, sculptor, illustrator, and one of the most imaginative figures of the Victorian art world. Closely associated with the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, Holiday shared their passion for natural beauty, vibrant colour, and medieval detail over the idealised styles of the Renaissance.
Trained at the Royal Academy, Holiday rejected its classical rules in favour of lifelike figures and richly textured scenes. His windows were made by Heaton, Butler & Bayne, a top firm of the Gothic Revival era, and showcase vibrant coloured glass hand-painted with fine detail, then leaded into place.
Holiday had worked with the firm before, including on a window for Westminster Abbey. At St Mary Magdalene’s, donors could choose the saint they wanted to sponsor. Several of them look like Holiday’s fellow Victorians. For example, St Richard is depicted with the face of Richard William Church, the Dean of St Paul’s at the time (1871-1890).
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