The Lord Jesus Christ has inspired artists throughout the ages. A large fraction of the world’s great art provides inspiring reminders of Him and His majesty and goodness. Since stained glass is often associated with Christian churches, it’s no surprise that the art in the Smith Museum of Stained Glass at Navy Pier in Chicago often deals with the Savior. Here are a couple of my favorites from my visit there earlier this year. May we always remember the Savior and look to Him for inspiration. He alone can show us the way to true happiness.
When we partake of the sacrament, may we each make that an intense moment of reflection upon our covenants to follow the Savior. We all fall so short, but still He reaches out in mercy to us and urges us to always follow Him and remember Him.
The photographs are of the following works, in order:
1. Detail from “Traditio Legis (The Legal Tradition)” by F.X. Zettler of Munich, Germany, 1906. “Legal Tradition” refers to the founding of the Church as Christ gave Peter the keys of the kingdom.
2. “The Sacred Heart of Jesus: Vision of Saint Sister Margaret Mary” designed and fabricated by Tyrol Art Glass Co. in Innsbruck, Austria, around 1910. Sister Margaret Mary, born in Burgundy, France, reported having four visions of Jesus Christ between 1673 and 1675.
3. “Christ in Mandorla” by Charles J. Connick Associates, Boston, from the First Methodist Episcopal Church in Gary, Indiana, c. 1920. A mandorla is an almond or womb-shaped intersection of two circles representing heaven and earth in which Christ stands.
Other photographs are available in my photogallery for the Smith Museum of Stained Glass.
These are beautiful examples. I’ve been happy to see what seems to be a marked increase in the use of art glass in LDS temples, in the last few years.
Wow, I didn’t know stained glass could be so detailed.
Interesting, no marks in the hand (or feet, when shown). Suppose these are all renditions of before the cruxifiction?
I thought resurrection meant gaining a perfect body. Why would he have marks on him if his body were perfect?
Obviously he was already resurrected when he appeared and showed said marks to various people. We may still wonder why he DID have marks on him but there’s little point in wondering why he WOULD have marks on him.
He will also show the marks in his body when he comes again: See Zechariah Chap 13.