Evening star., 1947-12-25

At Christmas each year many people visit
the Church Of the Epiphany in G street be-
tween Thirteenth and Fourteenth to see the
Epiphany window, one Of the truly great works
of art on display in Washington.
But the creator of the beautiful stained glass
dramatization of the Nativity story is rela-
lively unknown. When visitors asked his name
at the church last week, the clergy of the
parish could reply only that they did not
know Repeated inquiry, however. prompted
the secretary of Epiphany to search the old
records OF the church, dusty and me-stained,
until just few days ago she located faded
copy of the Parish Guide for October, 1891,
in which she discovered the following para
graphs written by the late Rev. Randolph
H. McKim, rector from 1889 to 1921: The
last feature of the alterations UNDER
taken fifteen months ago is at length complete.
The splendid window was in place on Sunday,
September 20. 1t is not only superb work
of art, of which the Capital City may well
be proud out it is one which is characterized by
deep religious feeling Here, indeed, art has
been the handmaid Of religion.
The subject is the Epiphany Of the Infant
Christ to the Shepherds and to the Wise Men
the artist legitimately bringing together into
one scene the two alterations In the center
llRnL Oh WlIQUW, anu dt ltS pdoc, VIC lldVT
David and Isaiah-the sweet psalmist Of Israel
and the great evangelical prophet-each, in an
ecstasy of inspiration. beholding in vision the
Messiah, the Hope of Israel and of the world.
Isaiah is p1ophesying of the Virgin Birth of the
Christ; David, of the coming Of kings to lay
presents at his feet From these as two foci Of
an ellipse, the entire conception of the window
is evolved. On their right are seen the Shep-
herds receiving with joy and amazement the
Angels Message of the birth Of Saviour; on
the left, three Wise Men are represented be-
holding the Star in the East that heralded the
same glad event. Above each of these groups
appear two other groups, seeming much nearer
to the beholder, which on inspection, are found
to be the same men, three Shepherds in the one
case. three Magi in the other, adoring the
Infant Christ, who lies in the manger, His
Mother gazing with rapt face upon Him. while
bright winged Angels look on = The artist
has represented the scene in the traditional spot
now covered by the Church of the Nativity. '''
The Window Rich in Color.
"1n the head of the central light, happy
band of boys is seen celebrating in great glad
ness the coming of the Light to Tighten the
Gentes, while over all, in the rose window,
Chorus of Angels is chanting Gloria in Excelsis.'
The artistic excellence of the work is worthy
Of all praise. . =" The colors are as rich as the
rainbow itself. The artist to whose genius we
owe this superb window is Henry Holiday of
London, who stands second to none in England
today
But who was the Mr.. Holiday to whom Dr.
McKim referred? He was responsible for one
of the most notably famous genre pictures in
the word-the oft-reproduced picture of the
poet Dante Aligheri, standing on the street in
Florence while his beloved Beatrice and two
young girl companions pass him by without