St. Patrick Preaching to his Disciples
This beautiful stained glass window depicting Saint Patrick preaching to his disciples is by the Irish artist, Harry Clarke, from 1925. This piece, along with several other pieces, was commissioned by the parish of St. Michael’s Church located in Ballinasloe, County Galway, Ireland. You can still see the original pieces there today.
In this piece, Saint Patrick, dressed in green, can be seen preaching to his disciples. Saint Benignus is the boy located just left of Saint Patrick. He was the son of a local chief from County Meath, Ireland, who became a disciple of Saint Patrick. After Saint Patrick’s death on March 17, 461, Benignus took over as the chief bishop of Ireland.
Clark was associated with the arts and crafts movement and was the most prolific Irish artist from that school of art. His stained-glass work incorporates bright, saturated hues with thick black leading. His figures were often elongated with expressive eyes. He created over 160 works of stained glass for both religious institutions and secular buildings. One of his major influences was the Art Nouveau movement, which his father first exposed him to.
St. Patrick preaching to his disciples is located inside St. Michael’s Church, in the fifth window of the south aisle. The church is located in Ballinasloe, County Galway, Ireland.
For more on Harry Clarke, please visit his short biography here.
You can find more artists to learn about here.
