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

This is a detail from Ludovic Alleaume’s stained-glass window made for the Église Saint-Sulpice de Fougères. Alleaume’s design uses black outlines to define the shapes, filled with bold colours that refract light. I am struck by the use of light as a kind of paint, illuminating the colours from behind. Look at the man’s hands, held open as if in supplication. The red and blue of his turban contrast with the purple of his beard, creating a harmony of colour that is both pleasing and strange. Around the figure, the bricks of the well are rendered in muted greys, adding depth to the composition. The way Alleaume handles the medium is also key, as he has built up the image from many pieces of glass joined together by lead strips. I think of other artists, like Matisse, who explored the possibilities of colour and light, but Alleaume’s work stands alone in its unique beauty and complexity. Like art, spirituality embraces ambiguity and interpretation.