This two-light stained-glass window depicting the Three Marys at the Tomb, dated 1917, is attributable to Burlison & Grylls and belongs to the firm’s late ecclesiastical output during the First World War period.

Description and iconography

The composition presents the moment immediately following the Resurrection, as described in the Gospels, when the holy women come to the tomb and receive the angelic announcement that Christ has risen.

In the left light, a seated angel occupies the rocky threshold of the empty tomb. His raised arm gestures upward in proclamation, while his pale robe—modelled in restrained whites and soft greys—contrasts with the dark, rugged landscape behind. The treatment of the figure is calm and authoritative, emphasising the angel’s role as divine messenger rather than dramatic actor.

The right light shows the Three Marys approaching the tomb. Mary Magdalene, identifiable by her ointment jar, stands in the foreground, while the other women cluster behind her in attitudes of astonishment and reverent uncertainty. Their garments are rendered in muted earth tones—ochres, greens, and deep reds—harmonising with the rocky setting and reinforcing the solemn character of the scene. A distant glimpse of landscape and sky provides depth without distracting from the encounter.

Style and context

The window exemplifies Burlison & Grylls’ late narrative style, marked by clear figure grouping, controlled colour, and an emphasis on legibility within the architectural setting of the church. The simplified backgrounds and restrained emotional register reflect early twentieth-century devotional preferences, particularly during the wartime years, when clarity and reassurance were often favoured over pictorial richness.

Dated 1917, the window stands as both a devotional image of the Resurrection and a product of its historical moment, embodying a quiet, contemplative approach to biblical narrative characteristic of English stained glass in the later years of the firm’s activity.