Holiday made the sketch design for this window (see below) in his Hampstead studio. It was installed at the University of Winnipeg, Canada, in 1893. The window was originally located in the Convocation Hall of Manitoba College but in 1951 it was moved and installed above the main entrance to Bryce Hall. This design features allegorical figures embodying four key virtues and five areas of study. The central figure represents Theology (Theologia), said by Holiday to represent the “focus of all knowledge.” Above her are the three cardinal virtues of Faith (Fides), Charity (Caritas), Hope (Spes), and below her sits Humility (Humilitas). Theology is flanked on the left by Philosophy (Philosophia) and History (Historia), and on the right by Science (Scientia) and Art (Ars). The design represents a popular conception of the time that Theology was the Queen of Sciences and these other disciplines existed primarily to advance theology by studying the relationship between God and nature.
Left: Design for the window at the University of Winnipeg. Right: Design at the Victoria and Albert Museum.. [Click on images to enlarge them.]
This window was repeated with a different colour scheme for a Theological College in New Jersey. The design for this window is in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum, accession no. E.1379-1927.
Bibliography
Hadley, Dennis and Joan Hadley. “Henry Holiday, 1839-1927.” The Journal of Stained Glass XIX (1989-90): 48-69.
Created 21 January 2023