LETTERS ON PAINTED GLASS 443

warranted by Rev. ii. 1, and iii. 1. The lightning I put in on account of Matt. xxiv. 27, and other such passages. The red things I intended for falling stars, Matt. xxiv. 29, Rev. vi. 13, and so the blackened sun and moon becoming blood; but I don’t much like the stars, they look like fireworks. Many such subjects have a background of blue, with circular spots, in the old windows; it always looks rich. I think if you and Ward put your heads together you will be able to put in a good background. As I said before, if you don’t like the figure don’t think of taking it. The sword and branch are in the original, and so I leave them. Oh, remember that the robe is of the richest possible carmine hue, dark blood-red in the folds. I have no red that can come within dreaming distance of it.

A letter sent to 7 Billiter Street,¹ with “to be forwarded” upon it, will reach me by the first post. There are some fine windows at Auxerre, which confirm all my former positions. I forgot to say, however, that the windows at Chartres have blues of more purple cast, sometimes, than those of Rouen, and that these blues are very glorious; nevertheless, the most solemn effect, I still feel convinced, is to be gained by blackish blues.

Yours ever very truly,

J. RUSKIN.

5

GENEVA, 3rd June.

DEAR OLDFIELD,-I send you at last two rude designs, one for the angel in the circle, the other for the side;² both rudely drawn, because to try and get a little purer red, I used this white paper, which takes colour badly: my drawing-paper is all grey. I was obliged to alter my plan in the side piece. I tried the tigers, but it made the angel at the top look like Mr. Wombwell, and the angel at the bottom like Mr. Van Amberg;³ so I put in a row of gates, which you will please to take for the celestial city, and a bit of unintelligible figure from St. Radegonde to fill up, which looks something between a monk and an angel, and may be typical of general felicity. The chaining of the dragon I suppose people will understand. You perceive he holds with his tail tight round an apple-tree. If Mr. Ward could make him look a little less like a gamecock, it would be desirable.

I thought a long while over the other, but could find nothing which would balance the other two single figures except this subject. It isn’t easy to make anybody look dignified with their legs so far asunder, but if you don’t like the action, Ward can supply a better figure. I expect him at any rate to improve on this; and the landscape below will,

¹ [The city office of Ruskin’s father.]

² [These designs are not available.]

³ [The reference is of course to a performer in Wombwell’s menagerie.]

[Version 0.04: March 2008]