Sermon on the Mount Windows at Herzogenbuchsee Reformed Church near Berne 1911

Eugène Burnand made this stained glass window depicting the Sermon on the Mount, likely in the late 19th or early 20th century. Imagine the process of building this up, piece by piece, carefully choosing each colour and shape. The arrangement of the glass creates a mosaic of light and colour, where figures emerge from a fractured surface. I wonder what Burnand was thinking as he composed this scene? Was he focused on historical accuracy, or on conveying a sense of wonder and spirituality? The way the light filters through, it's like he is using colour to evoke not just the scene but something beyond it too. It reminds me of some of the Pre-Raphaelites who were also working with intense colour to create a sense of otherworldly beauty. The blues and purples in the sky feel particularly emotive, like a Turner painting. In a way, artists are always talking to each other across time, aren’t they? Each gesture, each colour choice, is a response to what’s come before, and an invitation to what might come next.