Loughrea St. Brendan's Cathedral 1908

Curator: Let’s turn our attention to this stained-glass panel in the cathedral. This is "Loughrea St. Brendan's Cathedral", crafted around 1908 by Sarah Purser. It immediately strikes one with its vibrant palette. Editor: It has a medieval sensibility, but it feels distinctly bright. Look at how the light plays on the robes – they’re almost jewel-like. But the overall composition seems quite traditional, almost static, though that could be because it’s such a classic religious tableau. Curator: The use of stained glass itself plays a huge part in the construction of religious devotion and faith, doesn't it? It's so prevalent within churches, synagogues, mosques... What do you notice about the story Purser has depicted? Editor: The presentation in the temple? Visually, the color contrasts are quite striking - the juxtaposition of deep blues against the golds and reds in the figures create these sharp delineations, giving the composition this sense of solidity despite the translucent nature of the material. There's such an expert balance to everything. It pulls the eye in different directions without being too overwhelming. Curator: And she wasn't working in a vacuum; the revival of stained glass as a high art was very much tied to the cultural nationalism movements of the late 19th and early 20th centuries in Ireland, so it makes a fascinating claim for the independence of design away from established institutions. You see this influence everywhere as the churches that commissioned artwork began promoting Irish-centric aesthetics. Editor: Absolutely, a unique design style developed. And in considering form over message, in addition to Sarah Pursar's mastery, there is so much color, form, texture… These are design elements any formalist could talk about endlessly when appreciating the stained glass here today! Curator: Yes, an intriguing lens to place upon the glasswork today. Editor: Thank you.