Jesus and the Samaritan woman. Eglise Saint-Sulpice de Fougères (detail) 1919

This detail of a stained glass window in the Église Saint-Sulpice de Fougères, was created by Ludovic Alleaume. The angel’s garment is made of rubied glass, suggesting volume and shadow with delicate gradations. Looking at this now, I think about the craft involved in making this. Cutting and shaping these pieces must have taken so much patience and skill. I wonder if Alleaume had help in his studio, or if he executed the entire work himself. The angel's face has such a gentle expression, as though they are gazing out in anticipation. I wonder what it might have been like to be Alleaume, to work with the light streaming through the church, watching as the colors shifted and changed throughout the day, and knowing that his art would inspire people for years to come. We are all connected by the work that came before.