Richard King

The Paschal Lamb, 1966–67, Stained glass, Rose window, Chapel of Dominican Convent, Wicklow, Ireland; ©️ Richard King, with permission of the King Estate; Photo: Jozef Vrtiel, with permission of Dominican Sisters, Wicklow, Ireland

A New Exodus

Commentary by Ruth Sheehy

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The Paschal Lamb, depicted in this rose window, is also the Apocalyptic Lamb. In both aspects, the Lamb, for Christians, signifies Christ.

Christ’s sacrificial death at the time of Passover underscores his association with the Passover Lamb of the Old Testament. The Lamb in this window is therefore, in one respect, ‘Paschal’ with blood pouring from his breast. However, this same Lamb is also alive and risen from the dead, so we find additional resonances here with the Lamb of Revelation 5:6–7 which states:

Then I saw between the throne and the four living creatures and among the elders a Lamb standing as if it had been slaughtered, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth.

In Richard King’s window, we see ‘the seven horns of light’ around the Lamb’s head (Sheehy 2020: 341) and the white Cross of Resurrection.

These two dimensions of the Lamb, Paschal and Apocalyptic, are both evident in the Book of Revelation, as Richard Bauckham argues: ‘Doubtless, the Lamb is intended to suggest primarily the Passover lamb, for throughout the Apocalypse [including in 5:10] John represents the victory of the Lamb as a New Exodus’ (Bauckham 1993: 64). The Lamb of the Apocalypse is the Lamb whose blood was shed at Passover.

Christ, who is both crucified and risen, is the Paschal Mystery celebrated in the Eucharist. Through Christ, God’s very self is offered and received in the eucharistic action, and this Triune God is revealed by the ‘three triangles in the primary colours’ and ‘the large ruby triangle’ (Sheehy 2020: 341) symbolizing the Trinity behind the Lamb. This ‘large ruby triangle’ signifies ‘the Unity of God which gives the key colour note to the whole’, as ruby is ‘the symbolic colour of love’ (ibid 342). Eucharistic emblems of ‘bread’, ‘wine’, and ‘Water’ (sic) (ibid 341), in expressive colour, are in the six cusps of the window. A blue ‘Tau cross’ behind the Lamb connects him with the eucharistic emblems and the triangles of the Trinity.

Ichthus (IXΘΥΣ), the Greek word for fish, incorporates the language of Early Christianity. These initial letters of the words ‘Jesus Christ, Son of God, Saviour,’ functioning as an acrostic, are in blue glass beneath the Lamb. He is Saviour, for the blood that pours from his breast into a chalice is shed to redeem his people.

 

References

Bauckham, Richard. 1993. New Testament Theology: The Theology of the Book of Revelation (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press)

Fletcher, Michelle. 2022. ‘Reading Exodus in Revelation’, in Exodus in the New Testament, ed. by Seth Ehorn (London: Bloomsbury), pp. 182–201

Hoffmann Matthias Reinhard. 2005. The Destroyer and the Lamb: The Relationship Between Angelomorphic and Lamb Christology in the Book of Revelation (Tübingen: Mohr Siebeck)

King, Richard. 1967. ‘Unpublished written description of the windows in Dominican Convent Chapel, Wicklow, June 1967’, Dominican Archives, Wicklow, now in Dominican Archives, Cabra, Dublin

Sheehy, Ruth. 2020. The Life and Work of Richard King: Religion, Nationalism and Modernism, Reimagining Ireland Series (Oxford: Peter Lang)

See full exhibition for Revelation 5

Revelation 5

Revised Standard Version

5 And I saw in the right hand of him who was seated on the throne a scroll written within and on the back, sealed with seven seals; 2and I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?” 3And no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or to look into it, 4and I wept much that no one was found worthy to open the scroll or to look into it. 5Then one of the elders said to me, “Weep not; lo, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered, so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals.”

6 And between the throne and the four living creatures and among the elders, I saw a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain, with seven horns and with seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth; 7and he went and took the scroll from the right hand of him who was seated on the throne. 8And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and with golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints; 9and they sang a new song, saying,

“Worthy art thou to take the scroll and to open its seals,

for thou wast slain and by thy blood didst ransom men for God

from every tribe and tongue and people and nation,

10and hast made them a kingdom and priests to our God,

and they shall reign on earth.”

11Then I looked, and I heard around the throne and the living creatures and the elders the voice of many angels, numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, 12saying with a loud voice, “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!” 13And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all therein, saying, “To him who sits upon the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might for ever and ever!” 14And the four living creatures said, “Amen!” and the elders fell down and worshiped.

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