The Annunciation window is by Hugh Easton (1906-1965), who has been described as one of the outstanding artists in glass of the 20th century. He studied in France and had his glass studio in Cambridge. Amongst his most famous work is the Battle of Britain Memorial Window in Westminster Abbey.
The window in front of you contrasts with the earlier Victorian glass in the proportion of clear glass; this draws the eye to the figures of Mary and the Archangel, which are depicted in clear, bright colours. Beneath the main figures is a modern depiction of a lily crucifix: a depiction of the crucified Christ hanging, not on a cross, but on the stem and branches of a lily. (The reason for this image may be that, for a while in medieval times, it was believed that March 25th, the Feast of the Annunciation, was the day of the year on which the crucifixion also took place. Thus the lily, potent symbol of Mary’s purity and sinlessness, was linked with the symbol of Christ on the cross.)
Hugh Easton’s signature of a weather vane marking the east can be seen in the bottom right hand corner.
