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The Rose Window
When
our current building was built, Tiffany was commissioned to create this
beautiful window which is very interactive during morning worship.
Sometimes the deep olive green predominates. Some days a beautiful blue is
seen at the outer edge. Other days when the sunlight strikes it directly,
it is golden and so radient that the star in the center is not able to be
seen.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art noted at the time of the installation in
1909, "...under the personal supervion of Mr. Louis C. Tiffany, has
been placed in the Church-'a magnificent Rose Window containing a jeweled
cross, extending through many openings in the circle with an illuminated
background representing the sky'".
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Goodness
and Mercy Angels
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"Surely
goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life and I
will dwell in the house of the Lord forever, Psalm 23:6."
Note the delicate faceted work in the wings and the circular
composition; no matter where one looks first, the design moves the
viewer's eye around and through both panels of the long vertical
space.
Tiffany incorporated the metal strips into the design as
outlines...instead of using the cames, or frames, at regular
intervals, as glass makers had done for centuries. Seen here, the
lead cames follow the gradual lines of the angel's flowing robes and
the clouds.
(Photo
by Dennis Wilcox)
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The Angels of Praise
This
window is truly magnificent! It is our largest window. It was installed as
the church was being built and was so listed in the dedication services
booklet of September 19, 1909. Tiffany has created a feeling of upward
flight. The colors graduate from deep blues at the bottom through lighter
shades of color toward the top. Vertical lines are predominant.
(Photo
by Dennis Wilcox)
For
a higher resolution photo of this window provided by the 150th Anniversary
Directory Committee, together with a summary of our
church history, click here. |
New York Times (May 4, 1979) wrote: "Some of Tiffany's favorite windows
are in the Second Reformed Church in Hackensack,... Tiffany frequently visited
there with clients in tow, using the visit to help them select appropriate
design for their purposes." For each installation, the design was
customized as the client requested and reworked to fit the window's opening size
and shape requirements. Colors were coordinated to harmonize with the
surroundings in each location.
Tiffany strove to eliminate the use of enamel paints on his windows. Look at
how the glass alone expresses textures. Processes were developed for the
fabrication of each effect by the designers and craftsmen at the Tiffany
Studios.
Tiffany was fascinated by the ancient iridescent glass that the
archaeologists were unearthing. He experimented with weathering and firing
conditions to try and recreate those effects. He tried glazing and aging glass
in an acid-charged atmosphere. Tiffany obtained patents for his opalescent
techniques in 1880. The Museum of Modern Art in NYC wrote,"Favrile: a name
he (Tiffany) derived from Old English fabrile meaning, belonging to a craftsman
or his craft. By selecting the name Favrile, he honored the skilled craftsmen
who strove to perfect their craft."
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 The
Annunciation*
Notice how all the lines radiate from the
Angel. This Angel has appeared to tell Mary that she is with Child. Look
at the beautiful classical drapery of the Angel's robes. The glass is full
of color in the folds. Lead lines follow the contours. There are lilies
surrounding Mary. Note how the Angel's glowing form sheds light over Mary
and illuminates her upper body. |
The Good Shepherd*
Please look carefully at the grain in the
wooden staff, the bark of the tree, the rich colors in the folds of the
garments, as well as the thickness variations of the drapery glass.
Remember every piece of glass was planned for and created to be used in
that specific place in this particular window. There is no lead separating
the sky and mountain. This helps the Mt. recede into the distance. |
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Christ, the Teacher on the Shores of Galilee
This pastoral scene benefits from the late
afternoon light. The warm reddish light often prevalent at sunset enriches
the opalescent glass of the sky. These colors are repeated in the
reflection on the water. The texture of the tree bark can be
observed. The leaves have texture and depth, with sunlight
shimmering off the tree leaves. The distant trees are of yet a different
glass with less detail than the foreground. These effects are created
within the Favrile Glass by the Tiffany Studios. Enamel paints are
used only in the face, hands and feet. |
 Jesus,
Blessing the Little Children
This window is glorious toward the end of
the day. When the sun is lower in the western sky and its warm colored
light energizes the scene, all the pieces of Favrile glass that contain
shades of peach, rose, lavender, purple and red are enriched by the light
and those colors become more brilliant than they are in the morning
light. The brilliant sky is symbolic of heavenly grandeur. |
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 The
Three Mary's at the Tomb*
Observe how the angel radiates light that
illuminates the scene. The artist captures effect of the light on the hair
of the women. Artists strive to achieve this look on canvas with a brush
and a variety of paints. Here there has been no application of
paint. The streaks of color within the glass give the appearance of
strands of hair. This utilization of Tiffany glass is particularly
beautiful on the kneeling women. Note the plated glass effects.
Plating is a method of building layers to modulate the light coming
through to achieve special effects and colors. A large piece of glass was
layered over the top of leaded pieces that make up part of the rocks. Used
here, the plating helps to diminish the importance of the rocks in the
design. The viewer instead focuses on the figures. A metal bar was
designed to conform to the head of the angel, thus providing the necessary
structural support and enhancing the overall design. Imagine how a
straight support bar crossing the angel's head would have interfered with
the beauty of |
 Christ's Farewell Interview with
His Disciples*
According to Linda
Papanicolaou, who visited our church while researching J. Gordon Guthrie,
"Guthrie left the employ of the Tiffany Studios after an argument
with Tiffany." He went to work for Duffner & Kimberly Co. which
had been contracted to install this memorial. It is easily distinguished
from the Tiffany windows by the gold borders. But, there are many
similarities, as well (perhaps due to Guthrie's experiences at the Tiffany
Studios). Notice the drapery glass, the limited use of enamel painting and
the plated (layered) areas. This window is referred to as Ambassador of
Christ in the Consistory minutes (Sept. 17, 1908). |
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 Christ,
Knocking at the Door*
Our hearts need to be opened to let
Jesus enter. The lantern Jesus carries is symbolic of His being the Light
of the World. This lantern radiates its light on the darkest
day!
This was a very popular theme of the period
and Tiffany Studios installed many windows similar to this one. The
studios utilized this basic design concept and customized it for
other churches. A variation was the addition of a crown to
Jesus' head. Colors would have been coordinated to harmonize with the
surroundings in each location. |
 Gethsemane*
News clipping from the dedication in 1953
stated: the window was "an interpretation of (the painting) 'Christ
Praying in the Garden". Notice the moon and the stars in the Gethsemene
window. They have no lead surrounding them! Lead lines in this
location would not have given as pleasing an effect as this. The technique
used to create the moon and stars is called acid etching of flashed
glass.When flashed glass is fabricated, a thin layer of color is
fused to the surface of another piece of colored or clear glass (in this
case, blue and white). The piece of flashed glass is masked to protect the
ares not to be etched (the blue sky). Hydrofluoric acid is applied to
remove one of the layers of the flashed glass and reveal the remaining
color (the white of the moon). |