Canterbury Cathedral: The Becket Miracle Windows
Introduction and Plan
Stained Glass Window Photo Gallery
Ancestors of Christ
Corona Redemption Window
Typological Window 2
Becket Miracle Windows
Some of the most fascinating stained glass windows in Canterbury Cathedral are the eight Becket Miracle Windows placed around the Trinity Chapel where St. Thomas Becket's shrine once was. These windows were created and installed from about 1180 to 1220 AD, just a few decades after the death of St. Thomas in the cathedral (1170) and canonization (1173).
The narratives in the Becket Windows mostly reflect the period just after the saint's death, telling wondrous stories of pilgrimage, healing and miracles associated with St. Thomas and his shrine. Many of the stories reflect the narratives recorded by Brother William of Canterbury and Prior Benedict in 1180, but many do not, and the inscriptons on the glass do not correspond closely to the text. Therefore the Becket Windows are a distinctive source in themselves, recounting the tales that were circulating at the time.
A few stylistic differences can be detected in the eight windows, which has led to assigning different parts to different (unknown) artists. Windows n. III and n. IV in the north ambulatory and s. III and s. IV in the south ambulatory show a similar style and design, which is attributed to the Petronella Master (named for the scenes of the nun Petronella's healing in n. IV). The Petronella Master paints lithe, elongated figures and decorative vine scrolls in the backgrounds. He may have also worked at St. Remi in Rheims, France, and a similar style is seen in English manuscript illumination of c.1220 and recently-discovered wall paintings at Chester Castle from c.1237. Based on their style, the windows attributed to the Petronella Master are dated to about 1210-20.
The Fitz-Eisulf Master, named for the story of the Plague in the House of Jordan Fitz-Eisulf in n. II, has received attribution for windows n. II, n. III, s. II, s. III, s. VI and s. VII). He is also associated with stained glass in Sens Cathedral and Chartres Cathedral in France, but his best work is here.
Explore Becket Window 4 here. (more coming soon)
