Evangelists - Stamford Lincolnshire

This four-light stained-glass window, installed in 1860, was designed by William Wailes and depicts the Four Evangelists beneath elaborate Gothic Revival canopies, with narrative predella scenes illustrating aspects of their ministry.
From left to right stand St Matthew ⓘ, St Mark ⓘ, St Luke ⓘ, and St John ⓘ, each identified by traditional attributes and haloed figures set within richly coloured architectural frameworks.
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St Matthew holds a book, signifying his Gospel. In the predella below he is shown writing at his desk, emphasising authorship and divine inspiration.
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St Mark, similarly holding his Gospel, is depicted in the predella disembarking from a boat, possibly alluding to missionary activity and the spread of the Gospel across the Mediterranean world.
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St Luke stands with his Gospel text; beneath him a small scene shows him attending a sick or dying figure, reflecting the tradition of Luke as physician and compassionate healer.
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St John holds his Gospel and appears in the predella beneath St John is shown the visit to the tomb on Easter morning, with the holy women discovering the empty sepulchre and John present as witness.
Above, the tracery contains additional decorative medallions and figures, culminating in a central scene set within a quatrefoil ⓘ, reinforcing the doctrinal framing of the Evangelists as bearers of the Gospel message.
The window exemplifies Wailes’ mid-Victorian style: vivid colour contrasts, sharply defined figure drawing, and dense architectural ornamentation. The careful pairing of standing evangelist figures with narrative predella scenes reflects the didactic emphasis characteristic of nineteenth-century ecclesiastical glazing.