Southern Rose Window

An enormous, circular stained-glass window fills the frame of this image, set in a cream-colored limestone tower, against a blue sky. This exterior picture, taken in bright sunlight, does not show the colors of the stained glass, but the relief textures of the leading on the individual glass sections of the window are clearly visible in the sunlight. The window vaguely resembles a rose, with a circular center and 24 large "petals" radiating outward from it; very thin lines of stone separate the glass sections. Small petals are part of larger petals, and the overall impression is of very complex and precise symmetry. The individual scenes in the glass sections are barely visible and are clearly all different, but it is difficult to see what they portray at this difference and from the outside.

Technical details: Nikon F5 + AF Nikkor 24-120/3.5D, full auto, Fujichrome Velvia color reversal film (ISO 50), handheld, cropped and color-adjusted in Photoshop

Return to photo