Derby Cathedral is also noted for its modern stained glass windows. This example is one of a pair which are positioned to either side of the chancel. The windows were designed by Ceri Richards and installed in the Cathedral in 1965.
Ceri Richards was a Welsh artist, born near Swansea in 1903. He won a scholarship to The Royal College of Art and lived most of his adult life in London, except for a spell teaching in Cardiff. In 1929 he married Frances Clayton, a fellow artist from Stoke On Trent.
Various experiences influenced the work of Richards. Music and poetry were significant in his childhood and continued to play an important role in his artwork, with pieces being influenced by the works of Dylan Thomas and Debussy. But he was also drawn to different styles of art. In his early painting, Monet was an inspiration, but later he experimented more with surrealism and abstract images, in the style of such artists as Picasso and Kandinsky.
The stained windows in the cathedral were designed six years before his death in 1971 and certainly seem to reflect the more abstract qualities of his work. I do like stained glass windows; I love to see light shining through coloured glass, but I'm not 100% convinced by this pair. Out of the two, I prefer the one above. Its partner is rather too yellow for my liking.
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