This pair of stained-glass windows are family memorials to two members of a close Philadelphia family that was long active at St. Stephen’s: the Magee family. Together, the windows celebrate family, devotion to God, and service, virtues for which the Magees were well known.
The bottom window, “Abraham and the Three Strangers” was given in honor of the family patriarch, James Magee, by his son Horace Magee. The upper window, “Rebekah at the Well” was also given by Horace Magee in honor of his sister and the youngest daughter of the family: Carrie L. Magee.
Each window represents a pivotal test in which God keeps his promise of an important lineage to this childless couple who repeatedly obeyed his wrenching calls (like leaving home for a strange land).
Abraham and the Three Strangers
The lower window represents the couple’s final test: God appears as three strangers before the ancient Abraham, who kneels in respectful welcome and lavishes them with hospitality. The couple’s reward for their generosity: a son, Isaac, born soon after.
Rebekah at the Well
The top window presents the sequel: the test of a possible bride for the grown Isaac. When asked by a stranger (Abraham’s servant Eliezer) for water drawn from the nearby well, the beautiful, virtuous Rebekah not only warmly complies but offers water to his camels. Eliezer believes her response was God’s sign for his choice of Isaac’s wife; the generous Rebekah thus becomes mother to the next generation.
About the Artist and the Technique
Detail of Abraham and the Three Strangers
The windows were designed by a leading progressive English artist, Henry Holiday (maker of the Last Supper mosaic above the altar), who shows his strong Pre-Raphaelite vision of the 1870s in the dense composition, lush detail, and burnished palette that suggest medieval tapestries. His academic training as a figure painter, however, helped him tell stories visually: the figures are individualized and move and gesture credibly, their expressive faces and hands highlighted for emphasis against the clothing and setting.
These luminous, detailed windows, the first for Furness’ 1878 transept, blended with Furness’ original bold color and stenciled Christian symbols throughout the church. Now, Holiday’s windows dramatically contrast within Tiffany’s later light walls (1917) wherever we stand.