When we were in Ely yesterday, I spotted a book at Waterside Antiques, on The Great East Window of York Minster. I think it was priced around £60-80. I can’t recall exactly.
It was a terrific tome. One I’d dearly love to have acquired. But the price was way too high for my straitened circumstances. And the book is pretty old, mostly illustrated in black and white. With only a very few colour plates at the back.
So, rather as with the Painton Cowen Rose Windows books, I thought I’d see if there was a modern title on the same subject. And ‘Googling’ “The Great East Window of York Minster book” lead me to this:
Having found that there was indeed a newer book, I immediately ordered it, from Beelzebub… er, I mean Amazon. It arrived in less than 24 hours. Fab!
All of this reminds me that in actual fact we went to York Minster, many, many moons ago (and a wargaming show, whilst we were at it, I believe?), and I was struck at the time that a very large stained glass window was hidden/removed. And instead there was an enormous print version on display.
Now I realise it must’ve been the East Window. And what we saw – which was a disappointment at the time, obviously – was a result of the restoration project being in progress, which in turn gives us this incredible book.
My pics of this beautiful book aren’t great, as they’re all taken in the low light of our bedroom. But hopefully they’ll give some idea of the fabulous richness of this insanely wonderful artefact.
It starts with about 100 pages that mix numerous varied images with scholarly text. I’ve not read any of this yet. After this comes the Catalogue…
What I bought this book for are the remaining 165+ pages, that reproduce in glorious detail, beautiful colour and stunningly seductive detail, the more than 300 individual panels that comprise the truly Great genuinely awesome East Window.
The above gallery shows full panels, from the more regular square-ish lower parts of the window. The gallery below is made up of some of the details I find amazing, alluring, mesmerising, or – in (perhaps more than?) one instance – hilarious.
The more I look into old churches, cathedrals, etc, the deeper my joy in and passion for them grows. As repositories of our collective cultural heritage, in the form of stunning artistry and craftsmanship, they are nonpareil.
PS – York Minster has its own website, and they have a ‘page’ on this subject that’s worth a look.