Madonna

• Types of glass: 1. Opalescent 2. Drapery 3. Striated 4. Fracture 5. Mottled 6. Hand Cut Jewels 7. Smooth Jewels
• Painting only on faces, hands, and feet
• 3 layers

This magnificent window depicts the Madonna and Child as Breton peasants in pure white robes with simple ringed haloes in a verdant arbor; it is based on the equally magnificent Madonna of the Trellis by French artist Pascal Adolphe Jean Dagnan-Bouveret (1852–1929), which is seen here on the left. In both the painting and the window, the Infant Jesus faces away from the viewer and is wrapped in the Madonna’s arms in a protective manner, reflecting her maternal love. She fears for her Son, as she is aware that he will be tortured and crucified. In more typical portrayals, the Infant looks outward from her lap or arms.

Long thought to be lost, this monumental canvas was recently rediscovered and is now part of this Collection. Painted in 1888, it is an excellent example of French Naturalist painting, a genre that Dagnan-Bouveret would come to define, and it foreshadows the Symbolist influence that he embraced at the turn of the century as well as his later religious scenes inspired by Renaissance and Pre-Raphaelite artists. This painting was exhibited in Paris during the Salon of 1889.

This window was originally installed at the North Congregational Church in Haverhill, Massachusetts. Tiffany Studios created two similar windows for other churches in the Northeast. The window’s date is based on its inclusion in the book List of Tiffany Studios (1915). By 1908, Tiffany had also set a policy restrict-ing historical reproductions, putting more focus on production of original designs.
Biblical Story of the Window

Italian and Northern Renaissance artists first used the grape vine imagery in their work. The grape vines hanging from the arbor have important religious meaning. The light shining through them signifies the hope of resurrection. Also, in the Gospel of John 15: 1–5, Christ declares:
15 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. 3 You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. 4 Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. 5 I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”

Jesus meant that He would still be connected to his followers after he died and rose into Heaven in the same way that the branches of a vine are connected to its stem. He would be the source of life and spiritual fruit for his followers.