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STAINED GLASS WINDOWS
Take a walking tour of the windows.
(A graphic-intense page.)
The windows above the main staircase and throughout the entire second
floor constitute one of the most interesting and artistic features of the
Library. The glass, English antique of the finest quality, ranges in color
from deep blues and reds in the figures to delicate tints in the field
areas. Thus the glare of direct sunlight is elimiated, producing a most
agreeable effect of softened light suitable for reading. Designed by the
late Earl Sanborn and executed in his Boston studio, the windows have frequently
elicited highest praise from distinguished critics of art.
The imagery and allusions in the sculpture and stained glass reflect
a celebration of literacy, academic achievement, and culture -- an embodiment
of a library's mission as a repository of learning. Even religious images
are set in a context of a total vision of human knowledge, enlightened
by transcendent wisdom.
SCROLL DOWN
[Irish Windows Room] [Shakespeare
Windows] [Interior Window to Gargan Hall]
[Gargan Hall Windows] [Lonergan
Center Windows] [Chancellor's Office Windows]
Irish Windows Room
In the Irish Windows room are three windows, a gift of the "Friends of
the Library," designed and executed by Richard King, one of Ireland's leading
artists. The theme of these windows is the parallel between pre-Christian
and Christian ideologies which inspired Irish life and literature . In
the two adjoining windows, the pagan ideal of the triumph of Lugh, god
of Light and Goodness, over Balor, god of Darkness and Evil, is contrasted
with the Christian ideal in the triumph of Christ, Light of the World,
over Satan, Prince of Darkness. Lugh is armed with his unconquerable sword
and the shield of a warrior. But the right hand of Christ is raised in
blessing and in His left hand He holds a cross, His only weapon and the
scepter of His Kingdom. In the background, heroes of Irish myth whose inspiration
derived from Lugh -- Cuchullin, Fergus and Maeve -- are paralleled with
figures of Irish sainst -- Patrick, Colmcille, and Brigid. The smaller
window shows a monk at work in a scriptorum and suggests the debt which
Ireland owes to Christian scribes who not only gave Ireland its first Christian
literature but also recorded and preserved its heritage of pagan mythology
and legend. It may be imagined that the monk is illuminating St. John's
Gospel wherein Christ is described as "the true light which enlightenenth
every man that cometh into the world."
Commenting on the windows, the artist wrote: "When the idea of introducing
stained glass into the library was first proposed, I thought it would be
a good idea to give visual expression to the fundamental ideals of Ireland's
temperament, as expressed in her literature from the earliest time. First,
I thought of the pre-historic period when the first stirrings of the wonder
of existence made itself vocal in Ireland's mythological tales. The storytellers
looked outside the matter-of-fact way of life for their inspiration, and
got it in the solar system, and so we have the sun symbolic of the great
god Lugh, with attributes of goodness, nobility, brightness and chivalry.
Night, on the other hand, was symbolic of evil, darkness and treachery.
The continual war between the two was the basis for future tales. I think
they enshrine an answer to the often posed question -- how was St. Patrick
able to effect such a prodigious work as the conversion of a whole nation
to the Faith in such a limited time and to such effect? The answer seems
to be clear. The Irish ideal was akin to Christianity, and what Patrick
brought was, in effect, a confirmation of the aspirations of the race."
Shakespeare Windows
From the lobby, there are broad twin staircases leading up to Gargan Hall.
The windows above the landing show scenes from Shakespeare's plays, including
Antony and Cleopatra, The Merry Wives of Windsor, The Merchant of Venice,
and Hamlet. The set of Shakespeare windows continue on the east wall of
the staircase with six tragic heroes, and on the west wall with six heroines.
The eastern wall: Brutus, Coriolanus, Macbeth, Romeo, Prospero, and
Othello
The western wall: Lady Macbeth, Ophelia, Rosalind, Viola, Juliet, and
Desdemona
The south wall, to the far east (commemorating the "Historical Plays"):
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Title panel: Shakespeare with "Holished's Chronicles"
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Julius Caesar: Mark Antony's oration (Act II, Scene 2)
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Antony and Cleopatra: Antony and armor (Act IV, Scene 4); below, the Pyramids
of Egypt
The south wall, to the east (commemorating "Comedy"):
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Title panel: The Spirit of Comedy
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A Midsummer Night's Dream: Puck's exploits (Act II, Scene 1)
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The Merry Wives of Windsor: The basket episode (Act III, Scene 3)
The south wall, to the west (commemorating "Romance Comedy"):
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Title panel: A knight piercing the heart of romance
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The Taming of the Shrew: Catherine's submission (Act V, Scene 1)
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The Merchant of Venice: Trial scene (Act IV, Scene 1)
The south wall, to the far west (commemorating "Tragedy"):
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Title panel: The Muse of Tragedy
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King Lear: Lear and the fool on the heath (Act III, Scene 2)
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Hamlet: Apparition of his dead father (Act I, Scene 4)
Interior Window to Gargan Hall
At the top of the twin staircases is Gargan Foyer. Gargan Hall can be glimpsed
through a clear mullioned window depicting the Genesis of the Book. Here
many ancient forms of writing are memorialized.
The far left column:
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Hebrew Scroll: They were sometimes 120 feet in length.
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Behistun: Cuneiform inscription more than 2000 years old, carved on rock
cliff 1600 feet above plain at Behistun, in Persian Kurdistan, first deciphered
in 1851 by Sir Henry Rawlinson.
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Hieroglyphics: Ancient Egyptian picture writing.
The near left column:
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Greek Scroll: The earliest extant Greek scrolls date from 3rd or 4th century
A.D. The Ambrosian Homer, of this period, is thought to be the earliest
example of a parchment book.
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Ulfilas (311? - 383?): Gothic Bishop and missionary among Visigoths, invented
Gothic alphabet and translated Bible.
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Cuneiform: Characters (wedge-shaped) in ancient Assyrian, Babylonian, and
Persian inscriptions.
The near right column:
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Book of Kells: A copy of the Gospels, one of the most beautiful books in
the world. It dates from the later 7th century. Original in Trinity College,
Dublin.
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Mexican Ideograph: From earliest times, in Mexico ideograms -- graphic
symbols of ideas rather than words -- were used as the only means of communication.
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Hindi: Official language of India.
The far right column:
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The Vulgate: St. Jerome's Latin version of the Bible, the authorized version
of the Catholic Church.
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Japanese: An adaptation of Chinese characters formed the Japanese alphabet
of 47 characters used to spell words as we do.
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Ruthwell Cross: Inscription in Anglo-Saxon runes, on Ruthwell Cross, Dumfriesshire,
Scotland. Part of poem in old Northumbrian, "The Dream of the Rood." Date,
680 A.D. (?) First identified, 1840.
Gargan Hall Windows
The sequence of windows in Gargan hall is especially notable. The general
theme, the curriculum of studies in Jesuit Colleges and Universities, is
developed by pictorial representation of the chief courses of the curriculum.
The windows are uniform -- comprised of four lancets, three panels in every
lancet. Incidents in the history of the subject appear in the two central
lancets. In the other two are pictured distinguished persons affiliated
with the subject. Occasional depictions of persons or events related to
the main theme are introduced at irregular intervals. In the opinion of
the artist, the most beautiful of the panels is the Dogmatic Theology window.
A radiant dove with wings outspread, symbolic of the Holy Spirit, hovers
above a noble figure of God the Father. Beneath is Christ on the Cross,
flanked by two angels holding a cloak of royal purple -- a most effective
background for the pallid figure of the Crucified.
Alcove One: RELIGION
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Title panel: Figure with shield showing the Cross glorified.
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Subject panel: Figure with shield showing a pelican feeding its young,
symbol of the Eucharist.
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Center panels: "Light of the World," "Creation," "The Judgment," and "The
Redemption"
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Left panel: St. Paul, David, Moses, St. Aloysius
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Right panel: St. Aloysius, St. Louis, St. Stephen
Alcove Two - Three: ORATORY
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Title panel: Symbolic figure, bearing shield inscribed, "Oratory."
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Subject panel: Youth with shield showing waves breaking on pebbles, suggesting
Demosthenes who used pebbles to cure stuttering and practiced speaking
against the roar of the sea.
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Center panels: St. Paul at Athens, The Sermon
on the Mount, Cicero, and Demosthenes
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Left panel: Savonarola, Bourdaloue, Bossuet
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Right panel: Daniel O'Connell, Webster, Fox
Alcove Four - Five: POETRY and DRAMA
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Title panel: Figure with shield inscribed, "Poetry." (Below: "Hound of
Heaven")
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Subject panel: Figure bearing shield showing conventional masks of Tragedy
and Comedy.
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Center panels: The Georgics, "The Odyssey," Athenian Tragedy, and Athenian
Comedy
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Left panel: Horace, Vergil, Homer
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Right Panel: Juvenal, Sophocles, Aristophanes
Alcove Six - Seven: PROSE
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Title panel: Figure bearing a shield inscribed, "Prose."
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Subject panel: An interpretive figure with open book, quill and ink.
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Center panels: St. Thomas More, St. Jerome, "A Tale of Two Cities," and
"Time"
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Left panel: Macauley, Addison, Bacon
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Right panel: Dickens, Thackeray, Cardinal Newman
Alcove Eight - Nine: MODERN LANGUAGES
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Title panel: Figure bearing shield inscribed, "Language."
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Subject panel: Figure bearing shield with representation of Tower of Babel.
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Center panels: "Italian," "German," "Spanish," and "French"
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Left panel: Manzoni, Ariosto, Goethe
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Right panel: Calderon de la Barca, Moliere, Racine
Alcove Ten - Eleven: FINE ARTS
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Title panel: Figure bearing shield inscribed, "Sculpture, Music."
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Subject panel: Figure bearing shield depicting a Cathedral symbolizing
Architecture, and a palette typifying Painting.
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Center panels: "Sculpture," "Music," "Painting," and "Architecture"
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Left panel: Ghiberti, Beethoven, St. Cecilia
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Right panel: Sir Christopher Wren, Raphael, Fra Angelico
Alcove Twelve: HISTORY and EDUCATION
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Title panel: Figure bearing shield with Lamp of Learning.
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Subject panel: Figure bearing shield with torch lighting the parchment
of history.
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Center panels: "Columbus," "Magna Carta," "Monastic Scribe," and "Alfred
the Great"
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Left panel: Napoleon, Charlemagne, Pericles
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Right panel: Aquaviva, St. Ignatius Loyola, St. Venerable Bede
Alcove Thirteen: USEFUL ARTS
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Title panel: Figure bearing shield inscribed, "Useful Arts."
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Subject panel: Figure bearing shield with representation of compass.
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Center panels: "Engineering," "Mathematics," "Seismology," and "Meteorology"
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Left panel: Kircher, Ricci, Euclid
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Right panel: Secchi, Ampere, Hadrian
Alcove Fourteen - Fifteen: NATURAL SCIENCE
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Title panel: Figure bearing shield inscribed, "Science."
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Subject panel: Youth bearing shield showing chemist's implements and fire.
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Center panels: "Geology," "Astronomy," "Chemistry," and "Physics"
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Left panel: Newton, Steno, Copernicus
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Right panel: Volta, Laplace, Lavoisier
Alcove Sixteen - Seventeen: POLITICAL SCIENCE
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Title panel: Youth bearing shield inscribed, "Government."
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Subject panel: Youth bearing shield with fasces, symbol of rule, and palms,
symbol of peace.
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Center panels: "Sociology," "Government," "Political Economy," and "Foreign
Service"
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Left panel: Hamilton, St. Robert Bellarmine, Plato
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Right panel: Franklin, Adam Smith, and St. Vincent de Paul
Alcove Eighteen - Nineteen: PHILOSOPHY
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Title panel: Youth bearing shield inscribed, "Philosophy."
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Subject panel: Youth bearing shield with owl, symbol of wisdom.
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Center panels: "Metaphysics," "Logic," "Ethics," and "Psychology"
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Left panel: Alexander of Hales, St. Anselm, Suarez
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Right panel: Albertus Magnus, Peter Lombard, and Duns Scotus
Alcove Twenty - Twenty-One: THEOLOGY
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Title panel: Youth bearing shield inscribed, "Theology."
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Subject panel: Youth bearing shield with grapes, symbol of theology.
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Center panels: "Dogmatic Theology," "Scripture," "Pastoral Theology,"and
'Moral Theology"
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Left panel: St. Augustine, St. Jerome, St. John Chrysostom
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Right panel: St. Peter Canisius, St. Thomas
Aquinas, St. Gregory
Alcove Twenty-Two - Twenty-Three: LAW
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Title panel: Youth bearing shield inscribed, "Law."
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Subject panel: Youth bearing shield with a balance, symbol of Justice.
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Center panels: "Civil Law," "Natural Law," 'International Law," and "Canon
Law"
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Left panel: Pope Benedict XIV, Justinian, Solon
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Right panel: Marshall, Grotius, Suarez
Alcove Twenty-Four - Twenty Five: MEDICINE
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Title panel: Youth bearing shield inscribed, "Medicine."
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Subject panel: Youth bearing shield with skull and book of medicine.
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Center panels: "Physiology," "Biology," "Anatomy," and "Surgery"
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Left panel: Malpighi, Galen, Hippocrates
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Right panel: Scwann, Pasteur, Laennec
Lonergan Center Windows
The Chaucer windows in the Lonergan Center portray the twenty-nine
characters from the General Prologue to "Canterbury Tales." They are listed
in counter-clockwise order, beginning from the upper-left.
North window:
A Squyer; A Knight; Chaucer, Towers of Canterbury Cathedral; A Nonne;
A Prioresse; A Preste
Window left of fireplace:
A Clerk of Oxenford; A Marchuant; A Frere; A Preste; A Frankeleynd
[country gentleman]; A Sergeant of Lawe
Window right of fireplace:
A Webbe [weaver]; A Carpenter; A Haberdasshere; Mine Hoste; A Tapicer
[upholsterer]; A Monk
Left window, South wall:
A Schipman; A Deyere; A Cook; A Doctour of Phisik; A Wif of Bathe;
A Pardoner
Right window, South wall:
A Reeve; A Ploughman; A Persoun; A Mellere; A Somonour; A Maunciple
Chancellor's Office Windows
The window designs in the Chancellor's office are portraits of personalities
prominent in fields of American oratory, literature and statesmanship.
They are listed as they appear, beginning with the panel on the left as
you enter.
Orators:
Wendell Phillips; Daniel Webster; Patrick Henry; William Bourke Cockran;
William O'Brien Pardow, S.J.; Henry Grady
Poets:
Father Abram Ryan; Henry Wadsworth Longfellow; William Cullen Bryant;
Joyce Kilmer; Louise Imogen Guiney; John Greenleaf Whittier
Essayists:
Orestes Brownson; Ralph Waldo Emerson; Washington Irving; Agnes Repplier;
Samuel Clemens (Mark Twain); Oliver Wendell Holmes;
Novelists:
Edgar Allan Poe; Nathaniel Hawthorne; James Fenimore Cooper; F. Hopkinson
Smith; William Sydney Porter (O. Henry); Bret Harte
Statesmen:
John Marshall; Thomas Jefferson; George Washington; Theodore Roosevelt;
Abraham Lincoln; Roger Brooke Taney
Historians:
Bishop John England; George Bancroft; William Prescott; Archbishop
Martin J. Spalding; John Gilmary Shea; Francis Parkman |
