Loughrea St. Brendan's Cathedral. Nativity 1908

Sarah Purser made this stained glass Nativity for Loughrea St. Brendan's Cathedral, and what I immediately notice is how the light streams through the piece, illuminating the scene with this otherworldly glow. I like to imagine Sarah carefully selecting each piece of colored glass, arranging them like notes in a melody. The deep blues and reds of the stained glass create such a calming atmosphere. Her choice of colors, those tranquil blues in Mary’s robe against the fiery reds of Joseph’s cloak, really makes you feel the emotional intensity of the scene. I bet she had to consider how these hues would change with the shifting daylight, almost as if she were conducting a silent symphony with her work. There is such an interesting conversation happening in the history of painting, and Purser, through her stained glass, participates in this ongoing exchange of ideas, echoing back to medieval stained glass and anticipating a new visual culture.