William Warrington
Encyclopedia
William Warrington, was an English maker of stained glass
windows. His firm, operating from 1832 to 1875, was one of the earliest of the English Medieval revival and served clients such as Norwich and Peterborough Cathedrals. Warrington was an historian of medieval glass and published an illustrated book The History of Stained Glass.
shields. He then moved for a time into the stained glass workshop of Thomas Willement
, one of the earliest such workshops to be of high renown. In 1832 Warrington established his own stained glass company, where he produced windows that well satisfied the rising fashion of Gothic Revival and in which his own skills as an armorial painter were utilised in the production of domestic as well as ecclesiastical windows.
From studying existent ancient windows and emulation of the leading techniques of the master Thomas Willement, Warrington developed a style which allowed him to create windows strongly resembling those of the 13th and 14th centuries
in appearance. His windows became the preferred choice of the architect Augustus Welby Pugin who used them in most of his earliest churches, between 1838 and 1842.
But Pugin was soon to fall out with Warrington, claiming “The Glass-Painters will shorten my days, they are the greatest plague I have. The reason I did not give Warrington the window at the hospital is this. He has lately become so conceited and got nearly as expensive as Willement.” Warrington produced drawings of windows to be used by Pugin in the Houses of Parliament, but the firms that Pugin employed were Ballantine and Allen and Hardman & Co.
In 1848 Warrington published “The History of Stained Glass, from the Earliest Period of the Art to the Present Time” . The book came out in a folio edition with coloured lithographs illustrating British stained glass windows from the 11th to the 15th centuries. However Warrington expressed his dislike of the glass of the centuries that followed as being “a misconception and misapplication of this art.”
Among Warrington's significant commissions was the tiered arrangement of windows for the Eastern Apse of Norwich Cathedral
. He also designed for Ely Cathedral
, where his work may still be seen, both installed and on display in the Stained Glass Museum.
After Warrington’s death in 1869, the firm continued until 1875.
Many of Warrington’s Gothic Revival windows have a pleasant simplicity about them, the stylised foliage which takes up much of the window space being less heavy in appearance than some of his rivals, such as Clutterbuck, and based more closely upon recognisable plants.
The balance and arrangements of pictorial scenes within their formal background shows Warrington as a much more skilful designer than his teacher Willement, in whose windows the overall arrangement has a fairly arbitrary quality. Warrington’s figurative painting strives towards the Medieval
in its forms, which are somewhat elongated and elegant, with simply-painted drapery falling in deep folds in such a way that line and movement is emphasised in the pictorial composition. His painting of the details, particularly of faces, is both masterly and exquisite. Towards the end of his career he also designed windows in a more painterly and less Gothic manner to suit changing tastes.
Stained glass
The term stained glass can refer to coloured glass as a material or to works produced from it. Throughout its thousand-year history, the term has been applied almost exclusively to the windows of churches and other significant buildings...
windows. His firm, operating from 1832 to 1875, was one of the earliest of the English Medieval revival and served clients such as Norwich and Peterborough Cathedrals. Warrington was an historian of medieval glass and published an illustrated book The History of Stained Glass.
Biographical
In his youth, Warrington first trained with his father as a painter of armorialHeraldry
Heraldry is the profession, study, or art of creating, granting, and blazoning arms and ruling on questions of rank or protocol, as exercised by an officer of arms. Heraldry comes from Anglo-Norman herald, from the Germanic compound harja-waldaz, "army commander"...
shields. He then moved for a time into the stained glass workshop of Thomas Willement
Thomas Willement
Thomas Willement, 1786–1871, was a British stained glass artist, called “the Father of Victorian Stained Glass”, active from 1811 to 1865.-Biographical:Willement was born on the 18th July 1786 at St Marylebone, London....
, one of the earliest such workshops to be of high renown. In 1832 Warrington established his own stained glass company, where he produced windows that well satisfied the rising fashion of Gothic Revival and in which his own skills as an armorial painter were utilised in the production of domestic as well as ecclesiastical windows.
From studying existent ancient windows and emulation of the leading techniques of the master Thomas Willement, Warrington developed a style which allowed him to create windows strongly resembling those of the 13th and 14th centuries
Gothic art
Gothic art was a Medieval art movement that developed in France out of Romanesque art in the mid-12th century, led by the concurrent development of Gothic architecture. It spread to all of Western Europe, but took over art more completely north of the Alps, never quite effacing more classical...
in appearance. His windows became the preferred choice of the architect Augustus Welby Pugin who used them in most of his earliest churches, between 1838 and 1842.
But Pugin was soon to fall out with Warrington, claiming “The Glass-Painters will shorten my days, they are the greatest plague I have. The reason I did not give Warrington the window at the hospital is this. He has lately become so conceited and got nearly as expensive as Willement.” Warrington produced drawings of windows to be used by Pugin in the Houses of Parliament, but the firms that Pugin employed were Ballantine and Allen and Hardman & Co.
Hardman & Co.
Hardman & Co., otherwise John Hardman Trading Co., Ltd., founded 1838, began manufacturing stained glass in 1844 and became one of the world's leading manufacturers of stained glass and ecclesiastical fittings...
In 1848 Warrington published “The History of Stained Glass, from the Earliest Period of the Art to the Present Time” . The book came out in a folio edition with coloured lithographs illustrating British stained glass windows from the 11th to the 15th centuries. However Warrington expressed his dislike of the glass of the centuries that followed as being “a misconception and misapplication of this art.”
Among Warrington's significant commissions was the tiered arrangement of windows for the Eastern Apse of Norwich Cathedral
Norwich Cathedral
Norwich Cathedral is a cathedral located in Norwich, Norfolk, dedicated to the Holy and Undivided Trinity. Formerly a Catholic church, it has belonged to the Church of England since the English Reformation....
. He also designed for Ely Cathedral
Ely Cathedral
Ely Cathedral is the principal church of the Diocese of Ely, in Cambridgeshire, England, and is the seat of the Bishop of Ely and a suffragan bishop, the Bishop of Huntingdon...
, where his work may still be seen, both installed and on display in the Stained Glass Museum.
After Warrington’s death in 1869, the firm continued until 1875.
Style
Warrington was able to reproduce closely the geometric and foliate backgrounds of the 13th century and create pictorial rondels composed of small pieces of glass that gave a similar impression to the Medieval originals, though tending to let through more light and have less luminosity, because the nature of the glass was less flawed and therefore less refractive. Warrington's windows often contain a background comprising a distinctive pattern of little red and blue diagonal checks which was copied from medieval originals.Many of Warrington’s Gothic Revival windows have a pleasant simplicity about them, the stylised foliage which takes up much of the window space being less heavy in appearance than some of his rivals, such as Clutterbuck, and based more closely upon recognisable plants.
The balance and arrangements of pictorial scenes within their formal background shows Warrington as a much more skilful designer than his teacher Willement, in whose windows the overall arrangement has a fairly arbitrary quality. Warrington’s figurative painting strives towards the Medieval
Gothic art
Gothic art was a Medieval art movement that developed in France out of Romanesque art in the mid-12th century, led by the concurrent development of Gothic architecture. It spread to all of Western Europe, but took over art more completely north of the Alps, never quite effacing more classical...
in its forms, which are somewhat elongated and elegant, with simply-painted drapery falling in deep folds in such a way that line and movement is emphasised in the pictorial composition. His painting of the details, particularly of faces, is both masterly and exquisite. Towards the end of his career he also designed windows in a more painterly and less Gothic manner to suit changing tastes.
Buildings containing windows by Warrington
- Ely Cathedral and also in the Stained Glass Museum at Ely Cathedral.
- St Mary's College Oscott, near Birmingham - windows of saints designed by Pugin, made by Warrington, 1838.
- St. Mary's R.C. Church, Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands - windows designed by Pugin, made by Warrington, 1838.
- St Mary, Salehurst - a large 5 light West Window showing Christ before Pilate, Christ carrying the Cross, the Crucifixion, Noli me tangere and Ascension.
- St. Margaret’s Church, Addington, Kent - the East window, 3 lights of the Ascension
- St George's, Brede, Sussex - has three windows
- All Saints’, Lindfield, Sussex - has three windows.
- St Andrew’s, Hove - 2 windows, the Raising of Lazarus and the Raising of Jairus’ Daughter.
- St John’s, Deptford - one window, Presentation in the Temple.
- Norwich Cathedral - The windows of the Apsidal Eastern End.
- Thornton College, Buckinghamshire - figurative, decorative and armorial windows.
- The Basilica Cathedral of St. John the Baptist, Newfoundland and Labrador - 7 windows
- St Peter's, HevershamSt Peter's Church, HevershamSt Peter's Church, Heversham, is in the village of Heversham, Cumbria, England. It is an active Anglican parish church in the deanery of Kendal, the archdeaconry of Westmorland and Furness, and the diocese of Carlisle. Its benefice is united with that of St Thomas, Milnthorpe. The church has...
, Cumbria - 5 light East window of Jesus and the Gospel writers. - Lissadell Parish Church, Church of Ireland - a number of windows by Warrington
Other Early 19th century studios
- Thomas WillementThomas WillementThomas Willement, 1786–1871, was a British stained glass artist, called “the Father of Victorian Stained Glass”, active from 1811 to 1865.-Biographical:Willement was born on the 18th July 1786 at St Marylebone, London....
- William WailesWilliam WailesWilliam Wailes, , was the proprietor of one of England’s largest and most prolific stained glass workshops.- Biographical :Wailes was born and grew up in Newcastle on Tyne, England’s centre of domestic glass and bottle manufacturing. His first business was as a grocer and tea merchant...
- Charles Edmund ClutterbuckCharles Edmund ClutterbuckCharles Clutterbuck was a stained glass artist of Stratford, East London. He was originally a painter of miniatures and exhibited eight paintings at the Royal Academy. He began stained glass work in the 1840s. Examples of his work can be seen in many Churches in the South East of England...
- Hardman & Co.Hardman & Co.Hardman & Co., otherwise John Hardman Trading Co., Ltd., founded 1838, began manufacturing stained glass in 1844 and became one of the world's leading manufacturers of stained glass and ecclesiastical fittings...
See also
- Stained glassStained glassThe term stained glass can refer to coloured glass as a material or to works produced from it. Throughout its thousand-year history, the term has been applied almost exclusively to the windows of churches and other significant buildings...
- Stained glass - British glass, 1811-1918
- Victorian EraVictorian eraThe Victorian era of British history was the period of Queen Victoria's reign from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. It was a long period of peace, prosperity, refined sensibilities and national self-confidence...
- Gothic Revival