Clayton and Bell was one of the most prolific and proficient firms of English
stained glassThe term stained glass can refer to the material of coloured glass or the craft of working with it. Throughout its thousand-year history, the term "stained glass" has been applied almost exclusively to the windows of churches, cathedrals, chapels, and other significant buildings...
manufacturers during the latter half of the 19th century. The partners were John Richard Clayton (London, 1827-1913) and Alfred Bell (Stilton, Dorset, 1832-95). The company was founded in 1855 and continued until 1993. Their windows are found all over England, in the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.
Their commercial success was due to the high demand for stained glass windows at the time, their use of the best quality glass available, the excellence of their designs and their employment of efficient factory methods of production.
They worked with some of the most important Gothic Revival architects and were commissioned by
John PearsonJohn Pearson may refer to:* John A. Pearson , Canadian architect* John Pearson , English master-craftsman* John Pearson , British author...
to provide the windows for the newly constructed
Truro CathedralThe Cathedral of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Truro is an Anglican cathedral located in the city of Truro, Cornwall, in the United Kingdom. It was built in the Gothic Revival architectural style fashionable during the period, and is one of only three cathedrals in the United Kingdom with three spires.-...
.
Background
During the
Medieval periodThe Middle Ages of European history is a period of European history covering roughly a millennium in the 5th century through 16th centuries. More specific starting and ending points are sometimes adopted by scholars to suit their respective specializations or current focus...
, from the Norman Conquest of England in 1066 until the 1530s, much stained glass was produced and installed in churches,
monasteriesMonastery , a term derived from the Greek word μοναστήριον, neut. of μοναστήριος - monasterios denotes the building, or complex of buildings, that houses a room reserved for prayer Monastery (plural: monasteries), a term derived from the Greek word μοναστήριον, neut. of μοναστήριος - monasterios...
and
cathedralsThe cathedral architecture of Western Europe is the architecture of a large group of church buildings, occupying a specific ecclesiastical role, and following a tradition of form, function and style that stems initially from Early Christian traditions of the Roman Empire...
. Two historic events had brought an end to this and the destruction of most of the glass- the
Dissolution of the MonasteriesThe Dissolution of the Monasteries, sometimes referred to as the Suppression of the Monasteries, denotes the administrative and legal processes between 1536 and 1541 by which Henry VIII disbanded monasteries, nunneries and friaries in England, Wales and Ireland; appropriated their income, disposed...
under Henry VIII and the Puritan era under
Oliver CromwellOliver Cromwell was an English military and political leader best known for his involvement in making England into a republican Commonwealth and for his later role as Lord Protector of England, Scotland, and Ireland.He was one of the commanders of the New Model Army which defeated the royalists in...
in the 1600s.
The early 19th century was marked by a renewal of the
Christian faithChristianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as presented by the revelations in the New Testament....
, a growth of Roman Catholicism, a planting of new churches , particularly in centres of
industrial growthThe Industrial Revolution was a period from the 18th to the 19th century where major changes in agriculture, manufacturing, mining, and transport had a profound effect on the socioeconomic and cultural conditions in the United Kingdom. The changes subsequently spread throughout Europe, North...
and the restoration of many ancient churches and cathedrals. Leaders in the movement to build new churches and cathedrals were Augustus Welby Pugin, Sir
George Gilbert ScottSir George Gilbert Scott was an English architect of the Victorian Age, chiefly associated with the design, building and renovation of churches, cathedrals and workhouses....
,
John PearsonJohn Pearson may refer to:* John A. Pearson , Canadian architect* John Pearson , English master-craftsman* John Pearson , British author...
,
G.F. BodleyGeorge Frederick Bodley was an English architect working in the Gothic revival style.-Personal life:He was the youngest son of a physician in Brighton, Sussex, England. His elder brother, the Rev. W. H. Bodley, became a well-known Roman Catholic preacher and a professor at St Mary’s College, New...
and
George Edmund StreetGeorge Edmund Street was an English architect, born at Woodford in Essex.- Life :Street was the third son of Thomas Street, solicitor, by his second wife, Mary Anne Millington. George went to school at Mitcham in about 1830, and later to the Camberwell collegiate school, which he left in 1839...
. They generally designed churches in a manner that sought to revive the styles of the Medieval period.
History
In the 1850s a number of young designers worked in conjunction with the Gothic Revival architects in the provision of stained glass for new churches and for the restoration of old. These included John Richard Clayton, Alfred Bell, Clement Heaton, James Butler, Robert Bayne, Nathaniel Lavers, Francis Barraud, and Nathaniel Westlake. The eight worked in a number of combinations, Alfred Bell initially working at G.S. Scott’s architectural practice in the 1840s, then forming a partnership with Nathaniel Lavers before forming a partnership with Clayton in 1855.
Initially Clayton and Bell’s designs were manufactured by Heaton and Butler, with whom they shared a studio between 1859 and 1862, employing the very talented Robert Bayne as a designer as well. From 1861 Clayton and Bell commenced manufacturing their own glass. Robert Bayne became part of the partnership with Heaton and Butler, forming the firm
Heaton, Butler and BayneHeaton, Butler and Bayne is the name of an English firm who produced stained glass windows from 1855 onwards.-History:Clement Heaton, James Butler and Robert T. Bayne began their stained glass firm in 1855...
. Nathaniel Lavers, who had worked with Bell, also formed a partnership as
Lavers, Barraud and WestlakeLavers, Barraud and Westlake were an English firm that produced stained glass windows from 1855 until 1921. They were part of the Gothic Revival movement that affected English church architecture in the 19th century.-History:...
in 1862.
There was a good deal of interaction and influence between Clayton and Bell, and Heaton, Butler and Bayne. The windows of both firms share several distinguishing features and characteristic colour-combinations which are uncommon in other designers.
Clayton and Bell moved into large premises in
Regent StreetRegent Street is one of the major shopping streets in London's West End, well known to tourists and Londoners alike, and famous for its Christmas illuminations...
, London, where they employed about 300 people. In the late 1860s and 1870s the firm was at its busiest, and employees worked night shifts in order to fulfil commissions.
After the deaths of Alfred Bell in 1895 and John Richard Clayton in 1913, the firm continued under Bell’s son, John Clement Bell (1860-1944), then under Reginald Otto Bell (1884-1950) and lastly Michael Farrar-Bell (1911-93) until his death.
Important Commissions
Clayton and Bell’s windows may be found all over England and in many countries abroad. Among their major commissions, and perhaps the first entire cycle of glass produced in the
Victorian eraThe Victorian era of the United Kingdom was the period of Queen Victoria's reign from June 1837 until her death on the 22nd of January 1901. The reign was a long period of prosperity for the British people, as profits gained from the overseas British Empire, as well as from industrial improvements...
, is the cycle of great scholars produced for the Great Hall of the
University of SydneyThe University of Sydney is the oldest university in Australia. It was established in Sydney in 1850. It is a member of Australia's "Group of Eight" universities that are highly ranked in terms of their research performance...
, designed by the colonial architect
Edmund BlacketEdmund Thomas Blacket was an Australian architect, best known for his designs for the University of Sydney, St. Andrew's Cathedral, Sydney and St...
and based upon Westminster Hall in London.
Among their other famous windows are the West Window of
King's College Chapel, CambridgeKing's College Chapel is the chapel to King's College of the University of Cambridge, and is one of the finest examples of late Gothic English architecture.-Building of the Chapel:...
, 1878, a very sensitive commission as much ancient glass still existed in the building, and also in Cambridge, a Last Judgement for the Chapel of St John’s College.
Another significant commission was to design the mosaics for each side and beneath the canopy of the
Albert MemorialThe Albert Memorial is situated in Kensington Gardens, London, England, directly to the north of the Royal Albert Hall. It was commissioned by Queen Victoria in memory of her beloved husband, Prince Albert who died of typhoid in 1861. The memorial was designed by Sir George Gilbert Scott in the...
. This towering monument set on the edge of
Hyde ParkHyde Park is one of the largest parks in central London, England and one of the Royal Parks of London, famous for its Speakers' Corner.The park is divided in two by the Serpentine...
in London commemorates the Prince Consort ofQueen Victoria, who died in 1861. The Queen remained in deep
mourningMourning is, in the simplest sense, synonymous with grief over the death of someone. The word is also used to describe a cultural complex of behaviours in which the bereaved participate or are expected to participate...
until the ornate structure was unveiled, complete with a gilt statue of her husband. The firm of
SalviatiSalviati can mean:* The Salviati were a prominent 15th century Florentine-Roman banking family.* The painter Francesco Salviati.* The Salviati family , glass makers and mosaicists in 19th century Venice....
from
MuranoMurano is usually described as an island in the Venetian Lagoon, although like Venice itself it is actually an archipelago of islands linked by bridges. It lies about a mile north of Venice and is famous for its glass making, particularly lampworking...
,
VeniceVenice is a city in northern Italy, the capital of the region Veneto, a population of 271,367 . Together with Padua, the city is included in the Padua-Venice Metropolitan Area . The city historically was an independent nation...
, had manufactured the mosaics to Clayton and Bell's designs. Not surprisingly, the firm of Clayton and Bell was awarded a
Royal WarrantRoyal Warrants of Appointment have been issued for centuries to those who supply goods or services to a royal court or certain royal personages. The warrant enables the supplier to advertise the fact that they supply to the royal family, so lending prestige to the supplier...
by the Queen in 1883.
At
TruroTruro is a city in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom, and is the centre for administration, leisure and retail in Cornwall, with a population of 20,920. It is the only city in the county, and the most southerly city in Great Britain...
they were commissioned by
John PearsonJohn Pearson may refer to:* John A. Pearson , Canadian architect* John Pearson , English master-craftsman* John Pearson , British author...
to design windows for the
new CathedralThe Cathedral of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Truro is an Anglican cathedral located in the city of Truro, Cornwall, in the United Kingdom. It was built in the Gothic Revival architectural style fashionable during the period, and is one of only three cathedrals in the United Kingdom with three spires.-...
, and of these windows it is claimed -
“The stained glass which was made by Clayton and Bell is thought to be the finest Victorian stained glass in England and tells the story of the Christian Church, starting with the birth of Jesus and finishing with the building of Truro Cathedral.”
In London, another new cathedral was under construction- the
Byzantine styleByzantine art is the term commonly used to describe the artistic products of the Byzantine Empire from about the 4th century until the Fall of Constantinople in 1453....
, enormously ornate (and as yet incompletely decorated),
Catholic Cathedral of WestminsterWestminster Cathedral in London, is the mother church of the Roman Catholic community in England and Wales and the Metropolitan Church and Cathedral of the Archbishop of Westminster. It is dedicated to the Most Precious Blood of Jesus Christ....
, designed by J. F. Bentley. Many designers were employed as the cathedral has a series of chapels, each different in concept. Lord Brampton, a recent convert to Roman Catholicism, selected Clayton and Bell to fill his commission for an altarpiece for the Chapel of
Saints AugustineAugustine of Canterbury was a Benedictine monk who became the first Archbishop of Canterbury in the year 598...
and Gregory, representing the conversion of England to Christianity. Clayton designed the mosaics in much the way that he designed stained glass, in a Victorian Gothic manner, but with a gold background, traditional to the ancient mosaics of Venice. Although the work was to be assembled by Salviati’s workshop on
MuranoMurano is usually described as an island in the Venetian Lagoon, although like Venice itself it is actually an archipelago of islands linked by bridges. It lies about a mile north of Venice and is famous for its glass making, particularly lampworking...
, the tiles were English, having been made by a technique developed by the stained glass firm of
James Powell and SonsThe firm of James Powell and Sons, also known as Whitefriars Glass, were English glassmakers, leadlighters and stained glass window manufacturers...
and manufactured by that firm. Clayton despatched the cartoons and the tiles to Venice, where the expert mosaicists selected and glued them face down to the drawing, a technique said to have been devised by Salviati. The tiles were then adhered to the wall surface and the paper removed, leaving the mosaic intact. Lord Brampton died in 1907, to be commemorated by a mosaic of the “Just Judge”. One of Clayton’s last commissions was the design for another mosaic for the chapel “Non Angli sed Angeli”, donated by the Choir in 1912.
The glass of Clayton and Bell
The 19th century windows of Clayton and Bell are typified by their brilliant luminosity. This is because they were quick to adopt the advice of the student of Medieval glass, Charles Winston, who propounded that “modern” commercially-made coloured glass was not effective for stained glass windows, as it lacked the right refractive quality. In 1863 John Richard Clayton was among those who was experimenting with the manufacture of so-called
pot metal or coloured glass produced by simple ancient manufacturing techniques which brought about great variability in the texture and colour of glass which is characteristic of ancient windows.
Clayton and Bell were familiar with both ancient windows and with the various artistic movements of their time, such as the
Pre-Raphaelite BrotherhoodThe Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood was a group of English painters, poets, and critics, founded in 1848 by William Holman Hunt, John Everett Millais and Dante Gabriel Rossetti...
. Their work shows the influence, but not the dominance of either. It is, rather, an elegant synthesis of archaeologically-sourced details, such as their characteristic brightly-coloured canopies which are of a 14th century style, with figures who pay passing homage to the medieval in their sweeping robes of strong bright colours, a surety and refinement of the painted details and an excellence of design which never fails to integrate the structural lines of the lead into the overall picture.
Clayton and Bell were masters of story-telling. Many of their finest works are large multi-light East Windows or West Windows which depict the most dramatic moments in the
Biblical narrativesThe Bible contains the central religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. Modern Judaism generally recognizes a single set of canonical books known as the Tanakh, or Hebrew Bible, as it is written almost entirely in the Hebrew language, with some small portions in Aramaic...
of the
Life of ChristJesus of Nazareth —also known as Jesus Christ or occasionally Jesus the Christ—is the central figure of Christianity. Within most Christian denominations...
. Although they were capable of producing rows of dour prophets, gentle saints and mournful crucifixions, what they excelled at was scenes of Christ bursting forth from the tomb, the descent of the
Holy SpiritIn Christianity, the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of God. In mainstream Christian beliefs he is the third person of the Trinity. As part of the Godhead, the Holy Spirit is equal with God the Father and with God the Son....
to the disciples and the Archangel Michael calling forth the dead on the Day of Judgement.
They had ways of depicting rays of light that they put into practice ten years before most of their rivals attempted such dramatic atmospheric effects in the 1870s. The thing that makes these "special effects" of Clayton and Bell the more remarkable is that they were achieved with little resource to painted glass and flashed glass and without the multi-coloured Favrile glass used by
Louis Comfort TiffanyLouis Comfort Tiffany was an American artist and designer who worked in the decorative arts and is best known for his work in stained glass. He is the American artist most associated with the Art Nouveau and Aesthetic movements...
studios and the Aesthetic designers of the United States. In fact, they used little more than radiating bands of red, yellow and white glass coupled with a formalised style of cloud painting that had been used by ancient stained glass and panel painters. The effects achieved by apparently simple means are often of overwhelming impact. An renowned example that is reproduced in various books on the topic of stained glass is the Last Judgement window of St Mary’s church,
Hanley CastleHanley Castle is a village in Worcestershire, England, between the towns of Malvern and Upton upon Severn and a short distance from the River Severn. It lies in the administrative area of Malvern Hills District, and is part of the informal region known as The Malverns...
,
WorcestershireWorcestershire or ; abbreviated Worcs) is a historic and administrative county located in the West Midlands region of central England. In 1974 it was merged with the county of Herefordshire to form the single administrative county of Hereford and Worcester; which was divided in 1998,...
, dating from 1860.
Clayton and Bell excelled in their use of colour. The designing of a stained glass window that “works” from a visual point of view is a more complex matter than simply drawing up a
cartoonThe word cartoon has various meanings, based on several very different forms of visual art and illustration. The term has evolved over time....
and painting the colours in. What works on paper does not necessarily work when it has the added element of light streaming through it. Some colours are notoriously difficult. Blue glass, frequently used for backgrounds, can create a
halo effectHeiligenschein is an optical phenomenon which creates a bright spot around the shadow of the viewer's head. It is created when the surface on which the shadow falls has special optical characteristics. Dewy grass is known to exhibit these characteristics, and creates a Heiligenschein...
that dominates the window. Red and blue together can create a jumping discordant pattern that is quite nasty to look at. Faces can bleach out completely. Green can simply turn black.
But with these potential hazards, Clayton and Bell consistently turned out windows in which the balance of colour is eminently satisfying to the eye. They had the happy knack of selecting exactly the right tonal values so that difficult colour combinations, (such as red and green laid side by side as the cloth and lining of a cloak) appear inevitable. Moreover, their colour choices are rarely timid. (A “safe” choice is to line every cloak with yellow in the form of an applied silver-stain.) Although most of the colours in their windows are primaries- basic red, yellow and blue with a mid-tone grassy green, they introduced judiciously-placed tertiary colours such as russet, brownish purple and a sort of mustard colour. The mustard colour often appears in conjunction with a bright intense blue. They frequently clothed a central figure in a robe of this bright blue, in contrast to the dark blue of the background and the bright red of surrounding robes.
In common with
Heaton, Butler and BayneHeaton, Butler and Bayne is the name of an English firm who produced stained glass windows from 1855 onwards.-History:Clement Heaton, James Butler and Robert T. Bayne began their stained glass firm in 1855...
, Clayton and Bell often robed figures in their windows with dark-coloured cloaks that are dotted with gold stars or flowers. In general practice, a cloak was arranged in such a way that it could be cut from fairly large pieces of glass, so that the main folds fell along lead lines and the lesser folds could be applied with paint. But the characteristic "gold-star" decoration of Clayton and Bell necessitated that the entire cloak be divided into little pieces of coloured glass, with the gold stars set at the intersections. This created a network of lead which was not necessarily visually desirable. But in practice, the yellow stars catch the eye of the viewer to the extent that the lead disappears. It is another very effective technique for creating a rich and lively appearance, without resorting to heavy over-painting.
Coupled with the brilliant coloration, is an excellence in the painted details. This is particularly apparent in the features of the figures which show a mastery over the handling of a difficult medium that, in their earlier works, few of their contemporaries could equal, each fine line of paint being applied with the steadiness of hand and elegance of form of a master
calligrapherCalligraphy is a type of visual art. It is often called the art of writing . A contemporary definition of calligraphic practice is "the art of giving form to signs in an expressive, harmonious and skillful manner"...
.
The quality of the work when the firm was at its busiest in the 1870s became heavier, as it also did with other firms in that decade. There was a trend for a greater naturalism in the depiction of figures. This was often achieved by the application of more paint and at the expense of colour and luminosity. There was also a reliance upon German
engravingEngraving is the practice of incising a design on to a hard, usually flat surface, by cutting grooves into it. The result may be a decorated object in itself, as when silver, gold, steel, or glass are engraved, or may provide an intaglio printing plate, of copper or another metal, for printing...
s such as those by the artist
Martin SchongauerMartin Schongauer was a German engraver and painter. He was the most important German printmaker before Albrecht Dürer....
. Also, an increasing number of commissions came from individuals wishing to commemorate a family member in their local church rather than from architects who were themselves designers and appreciated the creative process.
In the 1880s, Clayton and Bell’s work went through something of a revival. Remarkably, many windows produced in the 1880s and 90s have the recaptured something of the freshness and brightness of the earlier works. They are in strong contrast to those of their pupils,
Burlison and GryllsBurlison and Grylls is the name of an English company who produced stained glass windows from 1868 onwards.The company of Burlison and Grylls was founded in 1868 at the instigation of the architects G F Bodley and Thomas Garner. Both John Burlison and Thomas Grylls had trained in the studios of...
, who specialised in silvery backgrounds with ornate canopies under which stand solidly three-dimensional figures in vast cloaks of wine red and indigo blue.
In the 20th century, Michael Farrar-Bell continued the tradition of figurative window design, using backgrounds of transparent quarries and maintaining much the same range of coloured glass as had been perfected by Clayton in the 1860s.
Buildings with Clayton and Bell Windows
- Virginia, County Cavan
Virginia is a small town of 1,734 inhabitants in County Cavan, Ireland. It was originally set down during the Plantation of Ulster in an area called Aghanure , situated within the townland of Ballaghanea, that some records note was close to the island location of an existing sixteenth century...
Anglican church, IrelandIreland is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island in the world. It lies to the north-west of continental Europe and is surrounded by hundreds of islands and islets. To the east of Ireland, separated by the Irish Sea, is the island of Great Britain...
: the Good Shepherd
- St. John's, Darlinghurst, Sydney
Sydney is the largest city in Australia, and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney has a metropolitan area population of approximately 4.34 million and an area of approximately 12,000 square kilometres. Its inhabitants are called Sydneysiders, and Sydney is often called "the Harbour City"...
: several windows including a NativityThe Nativity of Jesus has been a major subject of Christian art since the 4th century. The artistic depictions of the Nativity or birth of Jesus, celebrated at Christmas, are based on the narratives in the Bible, in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke, and further elaborated by written, oral and...
- St. Nicholas Church House, Kyloe
Kyloe is a civil parish in the borough of Berwick Upon Tweed. The nearby woodland area is a famous area for rock climbing and bouldering. Known locally as 'Kyloe-In-The-Woods' or simply 'The Woods', the crags are home to some of the toughest climbs in the UK....
: 8 windows in the chancel, depicting the Prophets, and the Archangels
- Central Presbyterian Church, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada : Three windows by Clayton and Bell, 1910
- Redpath Hall, McGill University
McGill University is a public research university located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It bears the name of James McGill, a prominent Montreal merchant from Scotland, whose bequest formed the beginning of the university...
, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- St. Johns's, Knotty Ash, Liverpool, UK
Other related 19th century firms
- Heaton, Butler and Bayne
Heaton, Butler and Bayne is the name of an English firm who produced stained glass windows from 1855 onwards.-History:Clement Heaton, James Butler and Robert T. Bayne began their stained glass firm in 1855...
- Lavers, Barraud and Westlake
Lavers, Barraud and Westlake were an English firm that produced stained glass windows from 1855 until 1921. They were part of the Gothic Revival movement that affected English church architecture in the 19th century.-History:...
- Burlison and Grylls
Burlison and Grylls is the name of an English company who produced stained glass windows from 1868 onwards.The company of Burlison and Grylls was founded in 1868 at the instigation of the architects G F Bodley and Thomas Garner. Both John Burlison and Thomas Grylls had trained in the studios of...
- 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.- History :...
- James Powell and Sons
The firm of James Powell and Sons, also known as Whitefriars Glass, were English glassmakers, leadlighters and stained glass window manufacturers...
- Charles Eamer Kempe
Charles Eamer Kempe was a well-known Victorian stained glass designer. He studied for the priesthood at Pembroke College, Oxford, but it became clear that his severe stammer would be an impediment to preaching...
- John Pearson
John Pearson may refer to:* John A. Pearson , Canadian architect* John Pearson , English master-craftsman* John Pearson , British author...
- Augustus Welby Pugin
Context
- Stained glass
The term stained glass can refer to the material of coloured glass or the craft of working with it. Throughout its thousand-year history, the term "stained glass" has been applied almost exclusively to the windows of churches, cathedrals, chapels, and other significant buildings...
- Stained glass - British glass, 1811-1918
- Victorian Era
The Victorian era of the United Kingdom was the period of Queen Victoria's reign from June 1837 until her death on the 22nd of January 1901. The reign was a long period of prosperity for the British people, as profits gained from the overseas British Empire, as well as from industrial improvements...
- Gothic Revival
- Poor Man's Bible
The term Poor Man's Bible has come into use in modern times to describe works of art within churches and cathedrals which either individually or collectively have been created to illustrate the teachings of the Bible for a largely illiterate population. These artworks may take the form of carvings,...
- Truro Cathedral
The Cathedral of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Truro is an Anglican cathedral located in the city of Truro, Cornwall, in the United Kingdom. It was built in the Gothic Revival architectural style fashionable during the period, and is one of only three cathedrals in the United Kingdom with three spires.-...
- University of Sydney
The University of Sydney is the oldest university in Australia. It was established in Sydney in 1850. It is a member of Australia's "Group of Eight" universities that are highly ranked in terms of their research performance...