Down the Well But Not Out For the Count

Joseph Sold Into Slavery by His Brothers
From The Munich Golden Psalter
English (Oxford), c. 1200-1225
Munich, Bayerische Staatsbibliothek
MS Clm 835, fol. 13v

"Israel loved Joseph best of all his sons, for he was the child of his old age;
and he had made him a long tunic.
When his brothers saw that their father loved him best of all his sons,
they hated him so much that they would not even greet him.

One day, when his brothers had gone to pasture their father’s flocks at Shechem,
Israel said to Joseph,
“Your brothers, you know, are tending our flocks at Shechem.
Get ready; I will send you to them.”

So Joseph went after his brothers and caught up with them in Dothan.
They noticed him from a distance,
and before he came up to them, they plotted to kill him.
They said to one another: “Here comes that master dreamer!
Come on, let us kill him and throw him into one of the cisterns here;
we could say that a wild beast devoured him.
We shall then see what comes of his dreams.”

When Reuben heard this, 
he tried to save him from their hands, saying,
“We must not take his life.
Instead of shedding blood,” he continued,

“just throw him into that cistern there in the desert;

but do not kill him outright.”
His purpose was to rescue him from their hands

and return him to his father. 

So when Joseph came up to them,
they stripped him of the long tunic he had on;
then they took him and threw him into the cistern,
which was empty and dry.

They then sat down to their meal.
Looking up, they saw a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead,
their camels laden with gum, balm and resin to be taken down to Egypt.
Judah said to his brothers:
“What is to be gained by killing our brother and concealing his blood?
Rather, let us sell him to these Ishmaelites,
instead of doing away with him ourselves.
After all, he is our brother, our own flesh.”
His brothers agreed. They sold Joseph to the Ishmaelites for twenty pieces of silver.

Genesis 37:3-4, 12-13A, 17B-28A (Reading 1 for Friday of the Second Week of Lent, February 26, 2016)

One of the most well-known stories in the Old Testament is the story of Joseph.  Beloved by his father, Jacob, the young boy is sent to visit his brothers who are away from the main camp tending their father’s sheep.  

The Master of Jean de Mandeville, Joseph Cast Into the Well
From a Bible historiale by Guiard des Moulins
French (Paris), c. 1360-1370
Los Angeles, J. Paul Getty Museum
MS 1, v1, fol.39r

Some families are riven with jealousy and this turns out to be one of them.  His brothers envy the boy on account of the favoritism of their father.  So, they decide to kill him.  But one of them argues against it.  His reasoning is that they should not kill him outright and shed his blood, but that they can do the same deed without personal involvement.  They can simply leave him down an empty cistern or well.  The idea that the cistern is empty of water suggests that there is a drought in the land.  Leaving someone stranded without water in such a harsh climate will have the same effect as killing him outright, but without the blood. So, they stick the child down the well and decide to have lunch nearby.  Pretty coldblooded, isn’t it?  

Fortunately for the boy, an Ismaelite* caravan headed for Egypt happens to come along while the brothers are eating and they have another bright idea.  They will sell him to the traders as a slave, which will accomplish two things:  they will be rid them of him and make a profit as well.

Joseph Sold to the Ismaelites
From a Bible historiale by Guiard des Moulins
French (Paris), c 1385-1390
Paris, Bibliotheque nationale de France
MS Francais 20090, fol. 33r

.   

So, Joseph is sold and goes off toward Egypt.  When he arrives there he is sold again, to a court official.  He has to pass through a series of troubles in Egypt, but eventually he rises to be a high official himself, one of Pharaoh’s most trusted servants.  Through his amazing ability to interpret dreams he saves Egypt from famine, a famine which afflicts the entire region, including Canaan.  His brothers eventually come to Egypt to buy grain and are recognized by him.  But they don’t recognize Joseph, now grown up and a great man.  He first tricks them then reveals himself to them, forgives them and ultimately welcomes them and their father who leave their home and settle in Egypt. 

This story, in all its aspects, is well represented in Western art, most especially through the illuminations found in the books used by lay readers, such as illustrated Bibles, picture Bibles, illustrated histories and Books of Hours.  Indeed, "the story of Joseph (Genesis 37-50) was one of the most popular and often retold and represented portions of the Old Testament. The plot is replete with dramatic twists--fraternal jealousy and treachery, attempted seduction, prophecy through dream interpretation, and the rewards of royal favor. Further, since patristic times, the trials of Joseph had been seen as a prefiguration of those of Christ. Both as narrative and typology, the Joseph story had "something for everyone."1

Some years ago I looked at images of the moment in which the grown up Joseph reveals himself and forgives his brothers (I am your brother, Joseph).  

Today I will look at the beginning of the story, the point at which Joseph is betrayed and sold. 

Some depictions of this story try to tell the entire story in one picture or in a series of immediately adjacent pictures. Some of these are among the earliest pictures of this story that we have.

The Story of Joseph
From Orationes of Gregory Nazianzen
Constantinople, c. 879-882
Paris, Bibliotheque nationale de France
MS Grec 510, 69v

The Story of Joseph
From Book of Hours
German (Franconian), c. 1104-1119
New York, Pierpont Morgan Library
MS M739, fol. 13v and 14r

These two pages face each other within the Book of Hours

The Story of Joseph
From a Picture Bible
French (Saint-Omer), c. 1190-1200
The Hague, Koninklijk Bibliotheek
MS KB 76 F5, fol. 3v

The Master of the Harvard Hannibal, The Story of Joseph
From Jewish Antiquities by Flavius Josèphus
French (Paris), c. 1410-1420
Paris, Bibliotheque nationale de Franc
MS Francais 247, fol. 25r

In the Psalter of Saint Louis (Louis IX) the images are found on a sequence of pages, with two scenes shown on each page.

Joseph Meets His Brothers and Joseph Is Cast Into the Well
From the Psalter of Saint Louis
French (Paris), c.1270
Paris, Bibliotheque nationale de France
MS Latin 10525, fol. 16r

Joseph Is Taken From the Well and Sold to the Traders
From the Psalter of Saint Louis
French (Paris), c.1270
Paris, Bibliotheque nationale de France
MS Latin 10525, fol. 17v

Joseph's Brothers Present His Bloodstained Coat to Jacob and Joseph is Sold by the Traders to Potiphar
From the Psalter of Saint Louis
French (Paris), c.1270
Paris, Bibliotheque nationale de France
MS Latin 10525, fol. 18r

In the so-called Queen Mary Psalter the images are located on facing pages.

 

 

 

 Joseph Is Cast Into the Well
From the Queen Mary Psalter
English (London), c. 1310-1320
London, British Library
MS Royal 2 B VII, fol.  14v

 

 

 

 

 

Joseph Is Sold to the Traders

From the Queen Mary Psalter

 English (London), 1310-1320
London, British Library
MS Royal 2 B VII, fol.  15r

This illustration from a Passover Haggadah reads from right to left in the same manner as the Hebrew text it illustrates

 

 

Joseph Sold to the Traders and Joseph Thrown Down the Well

From The Golden Haggadah, Haggadah for Passover

Spanish (Catalonia), c. 1325-1350

London, British Library

MS Additional 27210, fol. 6v

 

 

Master Francois and Workshop, Joseph Sold to the Traders

From a Speculum historiale by Vincent of Beauvais

French (Paris), 1463

Paris, Bibliotheque nationale de France

MS Francais 50, fol. 48r

Here the sequence of images runs from the background toward the foreground, where Joseph is being sold to the traders.

Biagio d'Antonio, Story of Joseph
Italian, c.1485
Los Angeles, J. Paul Getty Museum

Here the action takes place primarily on the left side of the painting, in a sort of zig zag motion, beginning with Joseph being sent by Jacob to his brothers. We see him walking toward them, then arriving, then being cast into the well and finally, being sold to the traders, who are shown embarking in the right background. In the right foreground his brothers present his bloodstained cloak to their sorrowing father, as the youngest brother, Benjamin, looks on.

Other images focus on certain moments in the story.

Joseph being thrust or pushed down the well

Joseph Cast into the Well
From Sacra parallela by John Damascene
Byzantine (Constantinople), c. 850-900
Paris, Bibliotheque nationale de France
MS Grec 923, fol. 391r

The Master of the Roman de Fauvel, Joseph Cast Into the Well
From a Bible historiale by Guiard des Moulins
French (Paris), c. 1300-1325
Paris, Bibliotheque nationale de France
MS Francais 156, fol. 36v

Joseph Cast Into the Well
From the Weltchronik
German (Bavarian), 1355-1365
New York, Pierpont Morgan Library
MS M 769, fol. 61r

 

Joseph Cast into the Well
From the Bible historiale by Guiard des Moulins
French (Paris), 14th-15th Century
Paris, Bibliotheque nationale de France
MS Francais 159, fol 31v

Joseph being removed from the well

Joseph Removed from the Well
From a Bible historiale by Guiard des Moulins
French (Paris), c. 1300-1325
Paris, Bibliotheque nationale de France
MS Francais 160, fol. 35r

The Master of the Roman de Fauvel, Joseph Removed from the Well
From a Speculum historiale by Vincent of Beauvais
French (Paris), c. 1333-1334
Paris, Bibliotheque nationale de France
MS Francais 316, fol. 72v

Joseph Removed from the Well
Froma  Bible historiale by Guiard des Moulins
French (Breton), 1417
Paris, Bibliotheque nationale de France
MS Francais 163, fol. 21r

The exchange of cash with the traders and Joseph being resold in Egypt

Joseph Sold to the Traders
From a Bible historiale by Guiard des Moulins
French (Paris), c.1300
Paris, Bibliotheque nationale de France
MS Francais 155, fol. 16v

The Master of the Livre du Sacre of Charles V, Joseph Sold to the Traders
From the Bible historiale of John the Good by Guiard des Moulins
French (Paris), c. 1350-1356
London, British Library
MS Royal 19 D II, fol. 33v

The Master of the Lady with the Unicorn, Joseph Sold to the Traders
From a Bible historiale by Guiard des Moulins
French (Paris), c. 1350-1375
Paris, Bibliotheque nationale de France
MS Francais 2, fol. 35v

The Master of the Senlis Bible, Joseph Sold by His Brothers
From a Bible historiale by Guiard des Moulins
French (Paris), c. 1350-1375
Paris, BNF
MS Francais 161, fol. 40r

The Master of the Livre du Sacre and Workshop, Joseph Sold
From a Speculum historiale by Vincent of Beauvais
French (Paris), c. 1370-1380
Paris, Bibliotheque nationale de France
MS Nouvelle acquisition francais 15939, fol. 41v

Joseph Sold to the Traders
From Bible historiale of Guiard des Moulins
French (Paris), c.1400
Paris, Bibliotheque nationale de France
MS Francais 9, fol. 36v

The Workshop of the Boucicaut Master, Joseph Sold
From a Bible historiale by Guiard des Moulins
French (Paris), c. 1400-1424
New York, Pierpont Morgan Library
MS M 394, fol. 30r

The Master of Jouvenel des  Ursins and Workshop, Joseph Sold to the Traders
From Mare historiarum by John of Cologne
French (Anjou), c. 1447-1455
Paris, Bibliotheque nationale de France
MS Latin 4915, fol. 33v

Joseph Sold to the Traders
From a Fleur des histoires by Jean Mansel
French, c. 1450-1475
Paris, Bibliotheque nationale de France
MS Francais 55, fol. 21r

The Rambures Master, Joseph Sold into Slavery
From an Histoire ancienne
North French or Flemish, c. 1455-1465
New York, Pierpont Morgan Library
MS M 212, fol. 35r

The Master of the Flemish Boethius, Joseph Sold to the Traders
From the Jewish Antiquities by Flavius Josephus
Flemish (Bruges), 1483
Paris, Bibliotheque nationale de France
MS Francais 11, fol. 32v

Bachiacca, Joseph Sold
Italian, c. 1515-1516
Rome, Galleria Borghese

Jacopo Pontormo, Joseph Sold to Potiphar
Italian, c. 1515-1518
London, National Gallery

Typological Images

There is also a group of images, running through the entire medieval period, which show something else, a connection between the story of Joseph and the story of Jesus. Just reading the biblical text above brings up several parallels between them, among which is the similarity to the death, burial and resurection of Jesus for Joseph is betrayed by those closest to him, he is thrown into a well (in effect buried) but raised from it and he is sold for silver.

These images use what is known as typology to connect the stories.  Among the most famous, as well as one of the earliest of these is found on the Klosterneuburg Altarpiece, commissioned by Abbot Wernher of Klosterneuburg from the goldsmith and enamel worker, Nicholas of Verdun and dedicated in 1181.2

It is one of the greatest works of the early part of the high middle ages.  It is famously divided into three registers of enamel images.  On the top register are scenes from the Book of Genesis, called the Time Before the Law.  On the bottom register are scenes from the other books of the Old Testament, from Exodus on, called the Time Under the Law.  The middle section shows scenes from the New Testament, called the Time Of Grace.   The images above and below the New Testament scene are to be read as types (i.e., prototypes) for the New Testament scene.

Nicholas of Verdun, Panel from the Klosterneuburg Altarpiece

Mosan, 1181

Klosterneuburg (Austria), Klosterneuburg Abbey

In the case of Joseph (Before the Law), his brothers’ action of throwing him into a well is echoed by the sailors throwing Jonah overboard into the great fish (Under the Law).  And both of them find their New Testament echo in the Entombment of Jesus, which appears in the middle register.

This idea of types continued throughout the middle ages and was one of the principal ways in which people thought when reading the Bible.3

It was not an invention of the "medieval mind", however, for it was also in the minds of the New Testament writers when they wrote what became the Gospels and Epistles.

Some examples are:

• Romans 5:12-14 and 1 Corinthians 15:21-22 where Adam is seen as a type of Christ; 
• Matthew 12:38-42 and Luke 11:29-32 where Jonah is called a sign for what Jesus predicts will happen when he is entombed (see Sign of Jonah); 
• Matthew 2:15-18, referring to the Flight into Egypt and the Massacre of the Innocents by Herod the Great; 
• John 3:14-15, in which Jesus compares his coming death on the cross to the brazen serpents set up by Moses, not as a cure for snake bites but as a cure for death itself;
• John 6:25-66, in which Jesus describes himself to the manna that fed the Isrealites on their wanderings and is rejected for this by many of his followers.

The idea of types was not confined to scholarly discussion or to monastic patronage.  It appears very widely in such books as the Biblia pauperum, which translates as the Bible of the Poor or the Speculum humanae salvationis (the Mirror of Human Salvation).  

The illustrations were made in sets of three with the story of Joseph in the well and Jonah in the whale bracketing the entombment of Jesus.  However, additional scenes were frequently added to make the most out of the codex (book) format, which favored even numbers of illustrations spread over two pages.

Entombment of Jesus, David Mourning Abner, Joseph Cast into the Well and Jonah Cast into the Sea
From a Speculum humanae salvationis
Italy (Bologna), 1350-1375
Paris, Bibliotheque nationale de France
MS Arsenal 593, fol. 21v

The Entombment of Jesus, David Mourning Abner, Joseph Cast into the Well and Jonah Cast into the Sea
From a Speculum humanae salvationis
English, c. 1350-1400
Paris, Bibliotheque nationale de France
MS Francais 400, fol. 15r

The Rambures Master, Joseph Cast into the Well, Entombment of Jesus, Jonah Cast
into the Sea
From a Biblia pauperum
French (Hesdin or Amiens), c.1470
The Hague, Museum Meermano
MS MMW 10 a 15, fol. 33r

The Rambures Master, Joseph Sold to the Traders, Jesus Betrayed by Judas, Joseph
Resold to Potiphar
From a Biblia pauperum
French (Hesdin or Amiens), c.1470
The Hague, Museum Meermano
MS MMW 10 a 15, fol. 28r

 

These were books, often produced and illustrated very cheaply, that were widely available all over medieval Europe for the use of the laity, many of whom may not have been able to read Latin or to read at all.  There are many examples of the use of types in these works, sometimes including all three layers of meaning, sometimes only two.

 It is, therefore, not correct to say that medieval people were uninformed about the Bible or its stories or their meaning.  This information was widely available whether in stone, or glass, painted on walls or as miniatures in prayer books or in picture books such as the Biblia pauperum, Bible moralisée and Speculum humanae salvationis (Mirror of Human Salvation) and various historical books, all of which were written in the vernacular languages. 4

The Mazarine Master and Workshop, Sacrifice of Isaac and Joseph Cast into the Well
From Voyages, Livre des merveilles by Jean de Mandeville
French (Paris), c. 1410-1412
Paris, Bibliotheque national de France
MS Francais 2810, fol. 167

The story of Joseph, his mistreatment by his brothers, his remarkable rise from slave to great man, his loving act of forgiveness and reconciliation were well known to all.

 

© M. Duffy, 2016, images updated 2024

____________________________________________________________

1. Smith, Kathryn A.. “History, Typology and Homily: The Joseph Cycle in the Queen Mary Psalter”.Gesta Vol. 32.2 (1993): p. 152. 
2. For a description of the program and for translations of the texts used in the altarpiece, see http://v1.elfieraymond.com/altar/
3. Maas, Anthony. "Biblical Exegesis." The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 5. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1909.21 Feb. 2016 .http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/05692b.htm
4. Morey, James H.. "Peter Comestor, Biblical Paraphrase, and the Medieval Popular Bible." Speculum, Vol. 68, 1, (January 1993), pp. 6-35.

* These people, identified as Ismaelites, are probably Arab traders.  The word Ismaelite suggests that they are descendants of Abraham's other son, Ismael.  Tradition says that the Jews descend from Isaac, Abraham's legitimate son by his wife, Sarah, and that the Arabs descend from his older, illegitimate son by his servant and concubine, Hagar.  Genesis 16.

Scripture texts in this work are taken from the New American Bible, revised edition© 2010, 1991, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Washington, D.C. and are used by permission of the copyright owner. All Rights Reserved. No part of the New American Bible may be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

The Charles Lorin Stained Glass Windows at St. Jean Baptiste Church, New York

Signature of Charles Lorin, Chartres
French, 1912-1914
New York, Eglise St. Jean Baptiste

The stained glass windows of my parish church are among the most interesting in New York City.  The church is located at Lexington Avenue and East 76th Street on the Upper East Side of Manhattan (www.sjbny.org).  The parish was founded in 1882 as a national church for the French-Canadian community in Manhattan and named in honor of the patron saint of Quebec.  In 1900 it was placed in the care of the Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament, a religious order founded in France in 1857 by St. Peter Julian Eymard (see my article about him here), and dedicated to spreading awareness of the great mystery of the Eucharist (www.blessedsacrament.com).  By 1910 the original church was bursting at the seams and a new church became necessary.

The splendid new Beaux-Arts Baroque church was built through the exemplary generosity of the financier and art patron, Thomas Fortune Ryan, who paid all the costs of construction.  Construction began in 1911 and was completed by the end of 1913.  The church was dedicated by John Cardinal Farley (a distant cousin of my paternal grandmother) in January 1914.  The interior decoration, financed by members of the parish, was planned specifically to give visual form to aspects of Eucharistic theology and to complement the perpetual adoration of the Blessed Sacrament which is one of the long standing traditions of this religious congregation and of the parish.  The interior contains many Eucharistic symbols and features multiple adoring angels, but the crown jewels of the interior are the windows.


History of the Windows
The principal stained glass windows in Saint Jean Baptiste were crafted by the atelier of Charles Lorin in Chartres, France between 1912 and 1914.

This stained glass atelier was founded in 1863 by Nicholas Lorin and continued from 1882 by his son, Charles. It remains in business to this day, as the firm of Lorin-Hermet-Juteau (www.lorin-hermet-juteau.com), and is considered the oldest continuously operating stained glass workshop in Chartres. It is still producing important new windows and renovating older ones.

Finished in 1914 the installation of the windows was delayed until 1920 due to the outbreak of World War I. Considered too fragile and valuable to risk delivery by sea during the war, they were stored underground until after the Armistice that ended the war. In the late 1990s they were removed from their settings for the first time since their installation and restored and reset by the firm of Sunlites Stained Glass of New York (www.sunlitesstainedglass.com).  This year marks the 100th anniversary of their completion.

Only one other set of Lorin windows exist in New York City, at St. Patrick's Cathedral, and they are an earlier work in the Gothic style by Nicholas Lorin.

Style of the Windows

Nicolas Poussin, The Eucharist
From the Louvre Seven Sacraments series
French, 1640
Paris, Musee du Louvre

Stylistically, the windows are traditional in design and classical in tone.  They emanate from the great tradition of classicizing French painting that stretches from Poussin and his followers in the 17th century, through Ingres and his followers in the 19th century, right up to the moment in 1912 when they were commissioned. At that point, Impressionism was a recent phenomenon and Cubism was in its very earliest infancy. The windows are a perfect reflection of their period. They tell their stories with calm, serene confidence. Space is realistically depicted and each of the stories is set in a classically depicted building or landscape. Figures are realistic and appear to be solidly placed in their surrounding.

It may be noted that the Old Testament scenes in the upper story have more deep color saturation than those in the lower story. This is probably due to the fact that they are so much higher above the viewer’s head than those in the lower story. In addition, the sunlight at the upper level is stronger than at the lower level, although this has probably become less true as the construction of taller buildings than those which surrounded the church at their installation has resulted in blocking some of the light that once reached them. For the same reason the windows of the lower story now receive even less light than they originally did. So, we are fortunate that they were prepared using lighter colors.

Furthermore, the windows of the upper level present their scenes in a taller format than in the lower level.  That is, the scenic portion of each of the upper windows occupies more space within the window than the scenic element does in the lower window.  In the lower window, the framing element is larger.  This is doubtless because the upper windows are designed to compensate for the distance between them and the viewer.  Seen from the ground level, the windows appear to be the same size.    This disparity and the color balance difference already noted, suggest that the entire effect of the windows was carefully planned in advance, as does the carefully chosen iconographic program, which is described below.

Outline
For the purpose of this guide the windows are broken into four groups:
1. Those in the nave,
2. Those in the crossing and transepts,
3. The lunettes in the transepts and
3. The Saint John the Baptist lunette above the central entrance of the nave.

However, the windows of the nave and the crossing and transepts form one continuous and interlocked narrative of the history of salvation, with particular emphasis on the Eucharist, in keeping with the charism of the Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament.

1. NAVE Windows

Layout
The layout of the nave windows is diagrammed below. It begins at the entrance doors on the north side of the building, moves toward the altar, and then reads back from the altar to the doors on the south side of the building.

The windows are arranged on two levels, with scenes taken from the Old Testament on the upper level and related scenes from the New Testament, from the life of Jesus, or from later church history on the lower level.

The windows of the Crossing and Transept areas is diagrammed later, but the windows in that area form part of a continuous narrative with the windows of the nave and should be “read” as part of a whole.

Narrative
“Reading” the subjects of the windows from the doors to the altar area and back around the entire nave, including the crossings and transepts, can be done on two distinct levels of meaning.

On the most basic level, the simple horizontal, one can read two separate, chronological, depictions of events from both the Old Testament (upper story) and the New Testament (lower story). The New Testament scenes are followed by three scenes from church history from the Middle Ages to 1910 (lower level).

However, on another “deeper” level of meaning, the stories in the upper and lower levels can be read both horizontally and vertically, since the upper scenes can be read as foreshadowing those in the lower story. This kind of reading, called “typology” was common in earlier centuries. Its origins can be found in the very first years of the growth of the Church, shortly after the death and resurrection of Jesus, within the books of the New Testament itself.

By the 11th century there was a fully developed schema of subjects from the Old Testament that were linked to events in the New Testament.  In the arts these events were generally presented as “sets” of three images, two from the Old Testament and one from the New. The Old Testament scenes were further divided into those occurring Before the Law (i.e., events from the Book of Genesis) and those Under the Law (i.e., events from the Book of Exodus and later texts). The New Testament scenes were thought of as occurring Under Grace (i.e., events from the Life of Christ or the Acts of the Apostles).

Probably the best known example is the Klosterneuburg Altarpiece, the work of the Mosan metal artist, Nicholas of Verdun, which was completed in 1181 for the abbey of Klosterneuburg in Austria, where it remains to this day.

Section of the Klosterneuburg Altarpiece showing several of the sets of images.  The events Before the Law are shown in the top row, those Under the Law in the bottom row and those Under Grace are in the middle row.

In the later Middle Ages this kind of typology was a feature of such popular lay picture Bibles as the Biblia pauperum and the Speculum humanae salvationis. An example from a 15th-century Biblia pauperum illustrates how these documents looked. The central New Testament (or Under Grace) image was flanked by the two Old Testament images (Before the Law and Under the Law).

Rambures Master, Joseph, Jonah and the
Burial of Jesus
From a Biblia pauperum
Northern French or Flemish, ca. 1470
The Hague, Musuem Moormano-Westentrianum
MS MMW 10 A 15, fol. 33r

In this example, the dead Christ is laid to rest in the tomb by His Mother and disciples, flanked on the left by the images of Joseph being placed in the well by his jealous brothers and on the right by Jonah being thrown overboard. (Biblia pauperum, attributed to the Rambures Master. The manuscript is dated circa 1470 and is in the collection of the Meermano Museum at the Hague (MS MMW 10 A 15, fol. 33r).

Our windows share in this venerable history.


Nave Windows
The correlation for the nave windows of our church is as follows:
Upper Story (Old Testament, Before the Law)                   Lower Story (New Testament, Life of Jesus)
The Tree of Life                                                                 The Annunciation
Sacrifice of Cain and Abel                                                  The Nativity
Sacrifice of Melchisedech                                                   The Marriage Feast at Cana
Sacrifice of Abraham                                                          Promise of the Eucharist (Feeding of the Five                                                                                               Thousand)


The Tree of Life and The Annunciation of Our Lord

Atelier Charles Lorin
The Tree of Life
French, 1912-1914
New York, Eglise St. Jean Baptiste
Upper level

Atelier Charles Lorin
The Annunciation
French, 1912-1914
New York, Eglise St. Jean Baptiste
Lower level

 The focus of this pair of windows is obedience to God. In the upper level window Adam and Eve are shown hiding from God after their disobedience in eating the fruit of the Tree of Life. In the lower window Mary accepts the Holy Spirit.

The disobedience of Adam and Eve was healed through the Incarnation of Jesus, made possible by Mary’s obedient response to the Angel Gabriel at the Annunciation. In addition, long-standing Christian tradition, going back to the first years of Christianity, have identified Jesus as the new Adam and Mary as the new Eve in a redeemed, renewed creation. St. Paul makes the connection between Jesus and Adam in 1 Corinthians 15. The Fathers of the Church picked this up and began to write about Mary as the New Eve as early as the 2nd century (Irenaeus of Lyons).


The Sacrifice of Cain and Abel and The Nativity of Our Lord 

Atelier Charles Lorin
The Sacrifice of Cain and Abel
French, 1912-1914
New York, Eglise St. Jean Baptiste
Upper level

Atelier Charles Lorin
The Nativity
French, 1912-1914
New York, Eglise St. Jean Baptiste
Lower level

The focus here is on sacrifice, purity and peace. In the top window Cain is shown in the background reacting angrily to God’s more favorable reception of the sacrifice of a pure lamb by his brother, Abel. In his jealousy and rage Cain killed Abel, committing the first murder.
In the Nativity of Jesus, shown in the lower window, the true Lamb of God and perfect sacrifice was born to reconcile man with God and to bring peace on earth, the message of the angels above His manger cradle.

The next two pairs of windows should probably be read together, as they represent different aspects of the promise of the Eucharist as sacrifice and gift.

The Sacrifice of Melchisedech and The Marriage Feast at Cana 

Atelier Charles Lorin
Sacrifice of Melchisedech
French, 1912-1914
New York, Eglise St. Jean Baptiste
Upper level

Atelier Charles Lorin
Marriage Feast at Cana
French, 1912-1914
New York, Eglise St. Jean Baptiste
Lower level

Melchisedech, a somewhat mysterious Old Testament figure, was king and priest of Salem (which later was known as Jerusalem) and was considered a “type” of Christ, the eternal high priest as well as the perfect sacrifice.
In the upper window Melchisedech offers a sacrifice of bread and wine, seen as a prefiguration of the Eucharist. The lower window depicts the Marriage Feast of Cana, at which Jesus performed the first of his miracles, changing water to wine, also seen as a foretaste of the Eucharist.

The Sacrifice of Abraham and The Promise of the Eucharist (Feeding of the Five Thousand)

Atelier Charles Lorin
Sacrifice of  Abraham
French, 1912-1914
New York, Eglise St. Jean Baptiste
Upper level

Atelier Charles Lorin
Promise of the Eucharist
French, 1912-1914
New York, Eglise St. Jean Baptiste
Lower level

In the upper window we see Abraham, obedient to God’s command, preparing to sacrifice his son, Isaac. He is being stopped at the last moment by an angel who provided a ram as substitute.
Jesus, the Son of God and the perfect Lamb of God, foreshadowed the creation of the Eucharist when he multiplied a few loaves of bread into enough food to feed 5,000 people, a scene depicted in the lower window. The Eucharist is both a daily sharing in His passion and death and His persistent Presence in the world, in a sense a physical substitute for His everlasting Presence in heaven.

FOR THE WINDOWS IN THE CROSSING AND TRANSEPT AREA, PLEASE SEE SECTION 2.


Moving back up the nave the windows should be read beginning with those nearest the altar and ending with those nearest the doors. These are:

Upper Story (Old Testament, Under the Law)              Lower Story (New Testament, Church History)
The Bread of Proposition                                              The Disciples at Emmaus
The Sword of Gideon                                                   The Vision of St. Juliana of Liege
The Bread of Elijah                                                       A Procession of the Blessed Sacrament at Lourdes
The Archangel Raphael and Tobias                                Pius X and Frequent Communion

The Bread of Proposition and The Disciples at Emmaus

Atelier Charles Lorin
The Bread of Proposition
French, 1912-1914
New York, Eglise St. Jean Baptiste
Upper level

Atelier Charles Lorin
The Disciples at Emmaus
French, 1912-1914
New York, Eglise St. Jean Baptiste
Lower level

The Old Testament scene at the top is drawn from the instructions for the treatment of the Ark in the Book of Exodus. Each Sabbath twelve blessed loaves of unleavened bread, known as the “Bread of the Presence” were to be placed on a table in the Holy of Holies, near the Ark of the Covenant. Each week the previous Sabbath’s loaves were consumed by the priests of the Temple.
In the lower window we see an event from New Testament. On the evening of the first Easter, the Risen Christ is recognized by two of his disciples, who had walked for several hours in His presence without recognizing Him. The recognition occurs in the breaking of bread. “The Breaking of the Bread” is the name given by the earliest Christians to the Eucharistic meal and this window is intended to commemorate that first post-Resurrection Eucharist, presided over by Christ Himself. It is easy to see in the Old Testament sacred bread, which stood in the presence of the Ark, as a foreshadowing of the Eucharist, which is the abiding earthly form of the presence of God, the Body of Christ.

The Sword of Gideon and The Vision of St. Juliana of Liege

Atelier Charles Lorin
The Sword of Gideon
French, 1912-1914
New York, Eglise St. Jean Baptiste
Upper level

Atelier Charles Lorin
Vision of St. Juliana of Liege
French, 1912-1914
New York, Eglise St. Jean Baptiste
Lower level

Both of these windows commemorate visionary experiences. In the upper window we see an event from the Old Testament Book of Judges. Gideon, the Jewish hero, has disguised himself and infiltrated the camp of the enemy Midionites. In his disguised state he overhears one of the enemy soldiers telling another of a dream in which he saw a loaf of bread roll through the Midionite camp, destroying it. His fellow soldier interprets the dream as “the sword of Gideon”. Gideon returns to his own troops and does indeed lead a successful attack. The form which the visionary “sword” takes, a loaf of bread, has obvious Eucharistic significance.
The lower window depicts one of the visions of St. Juliana of Liege (also known as Juliana of Mont Cornillon), a 13th-century nun, in which she sees a procession of angels bearing the Body of Christ in the form of the Host in a monstrance. Her visions led her to propose a special feast in honor of the Blessed Sacrament.  Within a few years of her death Pope Urban IV declared this feast, the feast of Corpus Christi, the Body and Blood of Christ for the universal Church. To this day it is celebrated with processions of the Eucharist in the monstrance through city streets.

The Bread of Elijah and A Procession of the Blessed Sacrament at Lourdes

Atelier Charles Lorin
The Bread of Elijah
French, 1912-1914
New York, Eglise St. Jean Baptiste
Upper level

Atelier Charles Lorin
Procession of the Blessed Sacrament
at Lourdes
French, 1912-1914
New York, Eglise St. Jean Baptiste
Lower level

These two windows depict scenes of the intervention of God in restoring the health of individuals and providing sustenance for their journeys of faith. In the upper window Elijah, having fled from the vengeance of Queen Jezebel and having prayed to be delivered by death, has lain down under a tree and fallen asleep. An angel, sent by God, awakens him and insists that he eat the hearth cake and jug of water that the angel had brought. Strengthened by this food for his journey Elijah walks to Mount Horeb where he has a direct encounter with God.
In the lower window, we see a modern event, set at the grotto of the shrine of the Virgin Mary at Lourdes, in France. The basilica of Lourdes can be seen in the distance, while the statue of the Virgin Mary in the grotto occupies the right side of the composition. In the central foreground an invalid, lying on a stretcher encounters Christ directly in the monstrance held above him by a priest. Strengthened by his encounter with the Eucharistic Lord, the ill person is prepared for whatever may come. It may be one of the miraculous healings for which Lourdes is famous or it may be his final journey to God.

The Archangel Raphael and Tobias and Pius X and Frequent Communion

Atelier Charles Lorin
The Archangel Raphael and Tobias
French, 1912-1914
New York, Eglise St. Jean Baptiste
Upper level

Atelier Charles Lorin
Pius X and Frequent Communion
French, 1912-1914
New York, Eglise St. Jean Baptiste
Lower level

This pair of windows focuses attention on the guidance of the young and the need to provide them with support on their life journeys. The Old Testament Book of Tobit relates how the Archangel Raphael came to earth in disguise to assist the young Tobias on a difficult and dangerous journey. In the upper window we see an incident from the first night of that journey. After making camp on the banks of the river Tigris, Tobias slipped his feet into the water and was nudged by a large fish. The disguised archangel urged Tobias to catch the fish and then instructed him to save parts of it for future use. These preserved parts of the fish enabled him to overcome the perils of his journey, defeat demons and, eventually, to cure his father of blindness.
In the lower window we see another instance of guidance and support being given to the young. In 1910 Pope Saint Pius X ordered that the age of a child at First Communion should be reduced from the then-common age of about 12-14 to the age of the use of reason at about the age of 7. The reasoning behind this order was based on a study of the practices of the early church, which admitted young children to the Sacrament, and on the reflection that because of the restrictions that had been imposed in subsequent centuries “children in their innocence were forced away from the embrace of Christ and deprived of the food of their interior life; and from this it also happened that in their youth, destitute of this strong help, surrounded by so many temptations, they lost their innocence and fell into vicious habits even before tasting of the Sacred Mysteries” (Quam singulari – Decree of the Sacred Congregation of the Discipline of the Sacraments on First Communion, August 8, 1910).
This window also has a particular significance for the Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament. Following the example of St. Peter Julian Eymard, their founder, in guiding and teaching the destitute children of Paris, and instilling in them love and devotion to the Blessed Sacrament, the fathers were among the leading proponents of lowering the age of First Communion. It is interesting to note that this window was commissioned in 1912, only two years after the decree was promulgated and long before the canonization of St. Pius X, which took place in 1954.


2. WINDOWS OF THE CROSSING AND TRANSEPTS
In the crossing/transept area the imagery becomes a bit more complex. The upper level windows (with the exception of the lunettes above the doors) primarily record events from the story of Exodus. In the lower windows of the transepts we see two events from the Last Supper, the Passover celebration on the final night before Jesus was crucified.

All these are taken from the Book of Exodus. In addition, there is an interloping scene, of the Feast of Ahasuerus, which comes from the Book of Esther.

Atelier Charles Lorin
The Burning Bush
French, 1912-1914
New York, Eglise St. Jean Baptiste
Upper level - North Transept west

Atelier Charles Lorin
Moses Striking the Rock
French, 1912-1914
New York, Eglise St. Jean Baptiste
Upper level - North Transept east

Atelier Charles Lorin
Feast of Ahasuerus
French, 1912-1914
New York, Eglise St. Jean Baptiste
Upper level - North Apsidal Chapel of Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament

Atelier Charles Lorin
The Ark of the Covenant
French, 1912-1914
New York, Eglise St. Jean Baptiste
Upper level - South Transept west

Atelier Charles Lorin
The Manna
French, 1912-1914
New York, Eglise St. Jean Baptiste
Upper level - South Transept east

Atelier Charles Lorin
The Pasch of the Old Law
French, 1912-1914
New York, Eglise St. Jean Baptiste
Upper level - South Apsidal Chapel of St. Joseph

Taken together all these images illustrate the saving power of God in the Passover of both the Old and the New Testaments. The events of the Exodus freed the People of God from bondage in Egypt or, in the case of the scene from the Book of Esther, from persecution in Persia. The sacrifice of Christ is the second Passover, the Passover of the New Covalent, which freed all people from the oppression of sin.

In addition, the inclusion of such scenes as God revealing Himself to Moses in the burning bush, of the spreading of the blood of a lamb on the doorposts of the Hebrews, of the gathering of the mysterious, bread-like manna in the desert and of the Ark of the Covenant all relate to the revelation of God in Jesus, of his sacrifice of Himself, of His institution of the Eucharist, in which bread and wine become His Body and Blood, and of His continuing presence in the world as the Real Presence in the tabernacle of the altar.

In the lower level of the sanctuary area are two New Testament events from the Last Supper, the Washing of the Feet and the Institution of the Eucharist.

Atelier Charles Lorin
The Washing of the Feet
French, 1912-1914
New York, Eglise St. Jean Baptiste
Lower level - North Apsidal Chapel of Our Lady
of the Blessed Sacrament

Atelier Charles Lorin
The Last Supper
French, 1912-1914
New York, Eglise St. Jean Baptiste
Lowerlevel - South Apsidal Chapel of St. Joseph

Each time Mass is celebrated on the altar, which is surrounded by these windows, that Mass becomes part of the story of salvation depicted in them and part of the eternal Sacrifice of Christ perpetuated in the Eucharist.

3. TRANSEPT LUNETTES

High above the doors in the transepts are two windows depicting events from church history related to the Eucharist, Saint Tarcisius Receiving the Eucharist and the Mass of Saint Gregory the Great.

North Transept - Saint Tarcisius

Atelier Charles Lorin
Saint Tarcisius
French, 1912-1914
New York, Eglise St. Jean Baptiste
North Transept over door

Tarcisius was a Roman boy of about 12 who was what we would today call an “altar boy”. During one of the 3rd century Roman persecutions of Christians he was given the Blessed Sacrament to bring to a bedridden Christian. On his way he was challenged by a group of other boys to join them in their games and, when he refused, they attempted to see what he was carrying. His defense of the consecrated Body of Christ resulted in a savage attack, from which he died. He is the patron saint of altar servers and has long been regarded as a model for the devotion to and respect for the Eucharist which should be shown by every Christian.

South Transept - Mass of Saint Gregory

Atelier Charles Lorin
Mass of St. Gregory
French, 1912-1914
New York, Eglise St. Jean Baptiste
South Transept over door

This was a frequent subject in medieval art. It depicts an event in the life of Pope Saint Gregory the Great. As Saint Gregory celebrated Mass one day he prayed fervently for a sign that would convince a doubter in the congregation about the reality of the change of bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Christ. At the consecration of the Mass, Christ appeared above the altar, crowned with thorns and bleeding. The doubter was converted and believed. The specific image of Christ which appeared to Gregory became known as the “Imago pietatis” and eventually as the “Man of Sorrows”. This image had a long life in late medieval and renaissance art as an independent iconographic subject.

Together, these two images remind the viewer of the devotion that should be shown to the Blessed Sacrament, even to the point of giving ones life to protect it.

4. LUNETTE OVER THE ENTRANCE DOOR

Behold the Lamb of God

Atelier Charles Lorin, Behold the Lamb of God
French, 1912-1914
New York, Eglise St. Jean Baptiste
Above Entrance Door

The final Lorin window in the church is the lunette that crowns the central entrance doorway. This window depicts Saint John the Baptist, patron saint of French Canada and of this church, at a crucial moment of his mission. He stands, surrounded by people who have come to hear him preach, at the banks of the Jordan River and points to the approaching figure of Jesus, saying “Behold the Lamb of God”. Thus, this window, in a sense, sums up the entire decorative scheme of the church. John the Baptist, its patron, points the way toward the person of Jesus, the Lamb of Sacrifice, and encourages both his followers in the design of the window and we, the congregation of the parish, to remember, as they leave Who they came here to meet and adore.

We have not yet discovered how this program of subjects for the windows came into being. It appears to reflect a serious plan, drawn up by someone with intent, and not a random choice of subject matter. Research is ongoing.

© Margaret M. Duffy, M.A., Ph. D. (abd) October 2012

For a look at some of the other windows created by the Lorin atelier visit:  https://www.marcmaison.com/architectural-antiques-resources/the_maison_lorin