It
is called "Hope" and is by the Scottish artist, Daniel Cottier. The little legend at the bottom of the
picture reads:-
Daniel
Cottier glass painter places this window in the Old West to the memory of his
grandfather Archibald McLean master mariner of this Port who died in the year
1847 aged 80 years.
Cottier's
grandfather, Archibald McLean married Mary Smith. Their daughter, Margaret McLean who was born
in Greenock, married a mariner, Daniel Cottier and had a son they also named
Daniel.
The
window was put in place
in 1884 and depicts a beautiful woman. Around her
head are the letters SPES - this was the name of the Roman goddess of
Hope. She stands in what appears to be a
walled garden in which are a few flowers. Spes was usually depicted holding a flower, again this is a symbol of
spring and with it fresh hope and new growth.
The upper half of
the window has greenery, behind which can be seen the masts and rigging of a
sailing ship - reference to Cottier's grandfather's occupation as master
mariner.
This
seafaring imagery is also continued in the anchor (another symbol of hope and
steadfastness) which is depicted in the little roundel which
contains words from the New Testament book of Romans. I am sure that
for many of the mariners' wives and daughters, this would have been a
comforting piece of scripture as at that time sea voyages lasted for many
months, even years.
I
think that it is a beautiful window, so peaceful and serene.
Daniel Cottier
was born in 1839 in Glasgow and served his apprenticeship with firm of glass
stainers, John Cairney & Co. Later
he moved to London and studied under the famous artist Ford Maddox Brown. He returned to Scotland and was responsible
for the stained glass for many churches.
In 1869 he founded Cottier & Co in Regent Street in London. In Australia he joined with fellow Scot to
start the firm Messrs Lyon, Cottier & Co who had premises at 333 Pitt
Street, Sydney. He also opened a branch
in New York. He collaborated with and
inspired Louis Comfort Tiffany. A man of
many talents, he worked on decorative interiors and furniture and was an
important art dealer. Cottier died in
Jacksonville, Florida in 1891. His body
was taken back to New York where he was buried in Woodlawn Cemetery.
If you want to
find out more, you can check out the website of the Cottier Theatre, the former
Dowanhill Church in the west end of Glasgow, decorated by Cottier and William
Leiper in 1865, and which has had extensive restoration work done
recently.
The Greenockian
