Richard Paton

New North London Synagogue · London · 2015

A Hymn to the Creator of Light

An intricate stained-glass interpretation of an 11th-century Hebrew hymn, realised through flashed glass, etching, painting, firing and leadwork.

The completed Hymn to the Creator of Light window installed in its illuminated wall-mounted light box
The completed window, mounted in its light box at New North London Synagogue.
Project
A Hymn to the Creator of Light
Location
New North London Synagogue, London
Concept
Professor Raphael Loewe, UCL
Source
An 11th-century hymn by Isaac ben Moses
Construction
Two leaded sections mounted in a wall light box
Completed
2015

Seven heavens translated into glass

The window grew from an 11th-century Hebrew hymn by Isaac ben Moses. Professor Raphael Loewe of UCL developed the artistic scheme around the Talmudic description of seven concentric heavens surmounted by the divine Chariot, imagining the poem as a medieval stained-glass window. The original drawn design was executed by Michael Hall of University College London.

New North London Synagogue approached me in 2015 to make that detailed design a physical reality using traditional stained-glass techniques. My task was to preserve the density and symbolism of the original while translating every element into coloured, etched, painted and leaded glass.

“The design was extraordinarily detailed. Translating it into etched, painted and leaded glass took time, but that complexity is what gives the finished window its depth.”

The making

From full-size drawing to illuminated glass

  1. 01
    Detailed drawings and colour references for the synagogue window arranged on a studio workbench
    Working through the detailed design and colour scheme.

    Drawing and interpretation

    The complete scheme was studied and enlarged so that the seven heavens, figures, symbols and richly patterned borders could be resolved as individual pieces of glass.

  2. 02
    A blue flashed-glass piece with clear etched areas for the synagogue window
    Etched flashed glass, ready for painted detail.

    Flashed glass and etching

    Much of the window uses mouth-blown flashed glass: clear glass carrying a thin surface layer of blue or red. Selected areas were removed to expose clear glass and create tonal depth.

  3. 03
    Detailed red and blue glass pieces being hand-painted on a light table
    Hand-painting the detailed border and figurative elements.

    Painting and kiln firing

    The etched glass was painted with fine figurative and decorative detail, then fired in the kiln to make the painted work permanent.

  4. 04
    The painted blue and red glass sections being assembled and leaded in the studio
    Assembling the painted glass before the two sections were installed.

    Leading and illumination

    The finished glass was assembled and leaded in two large sections. These were mounted together in a wall light box so that the colour, etching and painting are illuminated from behind.

Gallery

Full photographic record of the completed stained-glass artwork
The completed artwork before installation.
Full view of the completed seven-heavens stained-glass composition
The complete seven-heavens composition.
Close view of the blue, red and gold imagery within the seven-heavens window
Detail from the richly painted central section.
Design panels and colour studies laid out together in the studio
The design resolved across its individual sections.
Painted and etched glass pieces arranged over the full-size drawing
Painted glass pieces positioned over the working drawing.

Holding detail, colour and meaning together

The principal challenge was the density of the original design. Every small figure, Hebrew character, architectural motif and border panel needed to remain legible while also contributing to the window as a whole.

Flashed glass allowed colour to be selectively removed before painting, creating depth without losing luminosity. Etching, repeated painting and kiln firing, careful leading and the final backlit installation brought the complex visual scheme together.

Credits

Original hymn
Isaac ben Moses, 11th century
Concept and artistic scheme
Professor Raphael Loewe, UCL
Original drawn design
Michael Hall, University College London
Stained-glass fabrication
Richard Paton · Rainbow Glass Studios
Commission
New North London Synagogue

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