Life of Christ. Eglise Saint-Sulpice de Fougères (detail) 1919

Ludovic Alleaume’s stained glass piece, part of the “Life of Christ” series, has a palette of blues, reds, greens, and muted skin tones, which combine to create a feeling of awe. I imagine Alleaume carefully selecting each shard of colored glass, fitting them together like a complex puzzle, all the while thinking about how light will pass through it. I feel for the artist as they carefully shape the image. What do you think Alleaume was thinking as they shaped and refined each face? I am drawn to the woman at the bottom left with a white head covering, who is looking up, her face is tilted towards the light. Her green-grey robe is muted, but then there is her friend’s striking red belt, pulling my eyes towards the center. Alleaume’s work is rooted in the religious tradition of stained glass. When an artist makes a painting, they join in a conversation of artmaking across time, inspiring each other’s creativity. Painting is a form of expression that embraces many meanings and interpretations.