Dulwich College, London
Celebrating 400 years of the School – Lower Hall window (2.0m x 0.7m) 2019
The brief, set by Master Joseph Spence, was to create a new stained glass window for the Lower Hall at Dulwich College to mark the 400th anniversary of the founding of the school. The design takes as its starting point an observation made by the boys, that the Lower Hall is the ‘heart of the College’, and makes reference to the distinguished history of the College and its significant buildings.
The College Coat of Arms offers a strong link with the Founder of the College, Edward Alleyn. During James I’s royal entry into the City of London in March 1604, Alleyn presented the King with a flaming heart of London, an emblem of mercy, human love and charity; hence the flaming heart which appears as the crest of the College Arms.
The door beneath this window opens on to the eastern axis leading to the lavish iron gates which were designed by Charles Barry Jnr. as part of his major enlargement of the college between 1866 and 1870. From this viewpoint, the head of the window opening follows a curve similar to that of the overthrow of the central pair of gates. The fine ironwork of the gates incorporates various heart-shaped motifs.
My window design responds sensitively to the character of Barry’s architecture, setting the flaming heart – a hand grasping a heart, issuing from flames of fire – within flowing lines which paraphrase the sinuous ironwork and leafy character of the famous gates. Above the flaming heart the anniversary date 2019 is set on a scroll within the ironwork pattern.