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Prayer of the Shepherd

The Mastery of Louis Comfort Tiffany:

PART 3 OF 3

Prayer of the Shepherd

TIFFANY STUDIOS

  • Types of glass: 1. Opalescent 2. Mild drapery 3. Striated 4. Nodular 5. Mottled 6. Old Rolled Art Glass 7. Hand Cut Jewels

  • Painting on face, hands, feet, and sheep

  • Multiple Layers

  • Before 1915

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The Good Shepherd was a popular theme for stained glass windows. Tiffany Studios depicted its Good Shepherd windows in several distinct styles. Frederick Wilson, one of Tiffany’s most talented artists, designed this window and executed the painting. He excelled in painting faces and other flesh. In this window, the fine quality painting includes the herd of sheep, which subtly fades into the distance. This window was included in the List of Tiffany Windows (1915).

SPECIAL FEATURES

  • The radiant halo was created through plating, silver stain, and acid etching. These laborious and painstaking techniques helped achieve the artist’s goal to make vivid and real that which we cannot see—to bring the otherworldly into the vernacular of everyday worship.

  • The purple mottled drapery glass used in the bottom of the robe and in the sleeves is very unusual. It adds richness and depth to the clothing.

  • The sunrise infuses the scene with a delicate aura, which is achieved through silver stain and acid etching.

Prayer of the Shepherd

Prayer of the Shepherd

Designed and painted by Frederick Wilson at Tiffany Studios

  • Notice the sparkling hand cut jewels on the side and top panels. The jewels around the cross are hand cut from a very thick slab of glass.

  • In the large side panels, blue represents the sky, which is all striated glass plated with nodular glass. The sky has a certain depth that underscores the deep religious meaning of the window.

BIBLICAL STORY OF THE WINDOW

Jesus often used imagery from shepherding to help people understand his teachings. The following Biblical quotes illustrate this point:

  • “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives his life for his sheep.” (John 10:11)

  • “I am the good shepherd. I know my sheep and am known by my own.” (John 10:14)

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