7 Jesus in the Temple

Knowles Memorial Window

Signed: Tiffany Studios 1903

Window 8 is to the left towards the altar.

As in the instance of several other narratives in this series, this recounting of “Jesus in the Temple” from the Gospel of Luke (2:242–52) is a rather untraditional interpretation. Traditionally Jesus’ mother does not appear in the episode — conventionally the boy Jesus is portrayed sitting among the temple’s elders. Here the discovery of the lost child by his parents is depicted, evoking an emotional scene on a very human scale. Jesus’ mother reaches out to her son as he descends the stairs. A menorah in the background, and the elaborately detailed curtains on either side of the staircase, recreate the temple’s setting. Three doves also hover over the scene. At the bottom of the floral border, on either side, is the acanthus motif that echoes the Church’s Corinthian-style capitals.

This window is dedicated to Henry Miles Knowles (1850–1903) who was the founder of the Georgia Pacific Paper Company.