Sophie Hacker
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Baptism Window, St John the Baptist Church, North Baddesley, Hampshire

Picture

St John The Baptist church was built in the 11th Century and remodelled in the 14th.  The window is on the north wall, directly opposite the south entrance and the font.  
At the top is a sun/son motif, constructed from three thorn-like shapes.  The sun therefore offers a symbol as a crown of thorns, and also evokes the Trinity.  This motif is echoed in the waters of the river that flows from top to bottom of the window.  By repeating the motif, the river becomes the place of Christ’s baptism, and an invitation to the viewer (Mk 10.39).Below the sun (which visually binds the three sections of glass together) we see the first glimpse of dawn on the horizon.  To the right is a flaming tree, symbolic of the Spirit.

Below the horizon and revealed in creation, is the ‘hand of God’ (carved on the door jamb of the South porch).  Yet this hand of God has become at once the hand of Christ: his wound is seen as a piece of clear (‘white’) glass, through which the fields beyond can be seen.  Thus Creation is revealed through the wounds of love.

The fingertips of the hand touch the river, guiding us safely through the trials of life and the journey of death, as symbolized in the story of St Christopher, a traditional theme for medieval windows.

In the bottom right hand corner of the window is a small area of ground, from which our journey through the meaning of this window begins.

Finally, in the right hand light, a swelling shape of land resembles the curve of a pregnant belly, as all creation waits with longing and hope for Christ’s return.
Copyright © Sophie Hacker 2021
  • Home
    • About the Artist
    • Teaching
    • Professional Associations
  • Current Projects
    • Exhibitions and Selected Commissions
  • Church Art
    • All The Saints
    • Water into Wine
    • The Covid Cross
    • Silver
    • Corpus
    • Pentecost Cross
    • Chronicles of Light
    • Festal Copes
    • Venerable Chapel
    • Silk Banners
    • The Cathedral Market Nativity
    • Altar and three frontals
    • Lent Art Project 2021
  • Stained Glass
    • Lockdown Fragments
    • Revealing Glory and Renewing Hope
    • Calling Window
    • Holy Spirit Windows
    • Circular Roof Lantern
    • Baptism Window
  • Sculpture
    • St Oswald
    • Witness
    • Crucifixion Now, Resurrection Now
    • Icons of the Incarnation
    • Corpus
    • Sarum Cross
    • Christus
    • Archive >
      • Cursus
      • Pilgrim
      • Tempest
      • White Stoneware Nativity set
      • Pilgrim Cross
      • Climbing Cross
      • Crown
      • Landscape Form
      • Hospitality
      • Broken Crucifix
      • Landscape Assemblage
      • Mother and Child
  • Painting
    • Untiltled (Delight)
    • Jewelled light
    • Joy of Movement
    • Contemplation of the Father
    • The Exchange
    • Contemplation of the Son by the Son
    • Contemplation of the Star and the Cross
    • Through Him everything was made
    • Contemplation of the Spirit of Joy
    • First Communion of the Virgin
    • Noel
    • Kiss of the Infant Jesus
    • I sleep but my heart wakes
    • Untiltled (Hope)
    • Archive >
      • Quartet 2
      • Triptych
      • South Choir Aisle
      • Landscape 2006
      • Moonscape 2006
      • Original Composition for the Organ
      • Window
      • Interpretation of Rublev's Icon of
      • Joy
      • Quartet 1
      • Shekinah
      • Encounter
      • Autumn Flaming
      • Landscape 1
      • Landscape 2
  • Shop
    • Art Cards and Books
    • Studio Shop
    • Publications >
      • The Calling Window
      • Icons of the Incarnation
      • Process and Pilgrimage
      • St Gabriel's Symposium
  • Contact
    • Web Links