East Window - Misterton Leicestershire
Primary tabs
This 5 light east window at St. Leonard, Misterton in Leicestershire, by Ward and Hughes, is dated 1870.1
Conceived as a classic five-light Gothic lancet design with cusped tracery heads filled with stylized floral motifs in red, blue, and gold. The main panels feature standing figures of the four Evangelists flanking a central Christ, rendered in the firm's signature "soft" painted style—elongated, graceful forms with flowing drapery, subtle shading via enamel, and vibrant pot-metal colors (deep reds, blues, and yellows) that create a luminous, jewel-like effect.
Left to right Matthew as a bearded figure in blue and red robes holding a book (symbolizing his Gospel), with an angel in a roundel above. Mark as a bearded figure in green and gold, accompanied by a winged lion in a roundel. In the centre Christ as a standing figure in white and red, holding a lamb. A pelican in her piety (self-wounding to feed her young, symbolizing Christ's sacrificial blood) is in the roundel as a Eucharistic emblem. St Luke as a bearded figure in purple and gold, with a winged ox in a roundel. St John a youthful figure in red and blue, holding a chalice (with a serpent emerging, alluding to the poisoned chalice legend) and a book, with an eagle in a roundel.
Ward & Hughes' work here exemplifies their blend of Pre-Raphaelite-inspired naturalism and medieval revivalism: faces with expressive, softly modeled features (achieved through feathering and stippling on the glass); bold outlines via black pot-metal; and silver stain for glowing yellow halos and highlights. The overall effect is devotional and harmonious, designed to filter light dramatically in the chancel.
