A list of the known extant works of Carl Almquist (1848 – 1924), a Swedish-born
stained-glass artist whose professional life was spent entirely in Britain. He was a pupil of
Henry Holiday and became one of the two chief designers for the well-known
Lancaster firm of
Shrigley and Hunt. He was in large measure responsible for establishing their late
Pre-Raphaelite or
Aesthetic style. Though largely neglected by 20th-century art historians, Almquist has more recently been acclaimed as a genius, and as one of the leading late-Victorian stained-glass designers.[1] Almquist designed many windows for locations in Scotland, Wales, the
Home Counties,
Yorkshire, and above all in the
north-west of England, and there are scattered examples elsewhere.
Works
Because of the destruction by fire of most of the company's records in 1973[2] many
Shrigley and Hunt windows can be attributed to individual designers only on stylistic grounds, if at all.[3] Any list of
Carl Almquist's works is therefore necessarily incomplete. However, unless otherwise stated, all of the following Shrigley and Hunt windows have been firmly attributed to Almquist as designer.
Great Britain
England
Bedfordshire
Bedford,
St Paul's Church. First north aisle window, three lights (1884-1885). Subject: Fortitude, Faith and Charity. Edward Jenkins Prest and
Edward Holmes Jewitt assisted Almquist on this window.[4][5]
Upper Stondon, All Saints Church. North transept window, three lights (1885). Subject: Faith, Hope and Charity. Waters described it as "a masterpiece that places Almquist at the centre of the
Holiday –
Burne-Jones school of design".[7][8]
Buckinghamshire
Steeple Claydon, St Michael's Church. A painted
reredos in which the central panel, by Almquist, depicts the
Resurrection, while the two side panels are by Jewitt. Waters comments that "Neither artist was most successful as a painter in oil, but this reredos is the most successful the firm was to produce."[9]
Cambridgeshire
Pampisford, St John the Baptist's Church. East window, three lights (1896). Subject: the Crucifixion.[10]
Grappenhall,
St Wilfrid's Church. A north window, four lights (1887). Subject: the Adoration of the
Lamb. Waters called it "a highly complex masterpiece".[10]
Harthill, All Saints Church. East window, six lights (1885–1887). Subject: Scenes from the
Life of Christ.[10]
Matlock,
Matlock Town Hall. The stair window (1881) is in three tiers, of which the top, with floating figures, and the bottom, representing
Hygeia and
Aesculapius, are by Almquist.[15]
Durham
Redmarshall, St Cuthbert's Church. A south window, two lights (c. 1905). Subject: musical angels.[17]
East Riding of Yorkshire
Pocklington,
All Saints Church. West window of the south transept (1896). Subject: the
Annunciation and the Crucifixion. Another window, four lights (c. 1891). Subject: four archangels.[18]
East Sussex
East Hoathly, parish church (no dedication). East window, three lights (1884). Possibly in collaboration with Jewitt and William Tipping. Subject: Christ and the
Apostles.[19][20][21][22]
Greater London
Cockfosters,
Christ Church. All this church's stained glass (1898–1905) was produced by Shrigley and Hunt, and all, apart from some of the glass in the east wall sidelights, was designed by Almquist.[23][12]
Bolton,
St Mary's Church. A north window, four lights, and the aisle clerestory window above. Subject: an angel with a chalice, Jesus at
Gethsemane, etc. By Almquist and Jewitt. It is described in the
Buildings of England series as "Duskily Pre-Raphaelite, with some beautifully rich colours...a notable early work of theirs".[25]
Aldington, St Martin's Church. South transept window, two lights (1887). Subject: two angels.[12]
Boxley, All Saints Church. West window of the north aisle, two lights (1913). Subject:
St David and
St James the Great. The main design is by Almquist, but the bands of Jesus stilling the tempest are by
Patten Wilson.[12]
Lancashire
Blackpool,
Holy Trinity Church. Two south windows, each of four lights (1909). Subjects: church music and church building. Waters considered these windows perhaps the finest Shrigley and Hunt ever produced.[30]
Lancaster,
Christ Church. West window (1891). Subject: Christ and Apostles. South aisle windows (1895). Subjects: Arrival of the
Magi;
Jairus' Daughter;
Raising the Widow's Son. Another window, one light (1895). Subject: Suffer the Little Children. Another window, one light (1895). Subject: the Good Shepherd.[34]
Lancaster,
Priory. East window of the King's Own Regiment Memorial Chapel, three lights (c. 1903). Subject: St George, St Michael, and
St Alban.[35]
Lytham St Annes, St Anne's Church. South aisle window, three lights (c. 1899). Subject:
St Agnes between two figures. Only the two figures in the left and right lights are by Almquist.[36]
Preston,
St George the Martyr's Church. The stained glass was designed by Almquist.[40] He also furnished the designs for murals depicting
the Exodus, and personally supervised their transfer onto the walls of the church, above the arches of the north and south walls.[38]
Silverdale,
St John's Church. West window, three lights (1888). Subject: the Nativity. Clerestory windows (1891). Subject: Old Testament prophets. Waters considered these windows superb.[36]
Yealand Conyers, St John's Church. A south window, one light (1889). Subject: the Good Shepherd.[11]
Lincolnshire
Epworth, St Andrew's Church. South chancel window, three lights (c. 1909). Subject: After the Resurrection. North window. Subject: Christ blessing little children.[41]
West Derby,
St James's Church. North chapel window, three lights (1883). Subject: Martyrs worshipping the Lamb. West window (1898). Subject: Scenes from Christ's Life. Another window (1888). Subject: Annunciation and Nativity.[46]
Norfolk
East Bilney, St Mary's Church. North chancel window (1886). Subject: the Resurrection.[41]
All Saints' Church, Grayswood. East window, five lights (1905). Subject: the Ascension and Resurrection. Also a north window. In the chancel are painted figures of Moses and David on linen canvas, by Almquist according to Waters, though
Historic England only says they are possibly by him.[20][49]
West Yorkshire
Bradford, St James's Church. East window, five lights (1876). Subject: Scenes from the Life of Christ.[50]
Ledsham, All Saints Church. East window, five lights (1899). Subject: After the Resurrection.[50]
Dumbarton, Town Hall. Council chamber window (1896). Subject: secular figures. The heraldry and patterns in which the figures are set are by Jewitt and others.[50]
Lanarkshire
Eastwood, parish church (no dedication). A south aisle window, one light (1884–1885). Subject:
Mary of Bethany.[50]
Perthshire
Aberfoyle, parish church (no dedication). West window, two lights (1895). Subject: the Good Shepherd, and Moses.[50]
Aberfoyle, St Mary's Episcopal Church. East window, four lights (1896). Subject: Scenes from the Life of Christ. Waters described it as a superlative work of art.[51]
Wales
Clwyd
Colwyn Bay, Queens' Lodge. Landing window above the entrance (c. 1893). Subject: dancing garland weavers. Drawing room hearth tiles (1893). Subject:
Perseus and
Andromeda.[52]
Llanbedr Dyffryn Clwyd, St Peter's Church. A north window, one light (1887). Subject: Angel of martyrs.[52]
Pen-y-Lan, All Saints Church. All apse windows (1888). Subjects: Christ, St John,
Virgin Mary, St Peter, St Paul, St Stephen,
St Ambrose,
St Augustine, St David, St Alban, King David.[52]
Dyfed
Betws Bledrws,
parish church (no dedication). East window, three lights (1886). Subject: the Crucifixion. West window, one light (1887). Subject: St Michael. Six windows, each of one light (1886). Subjects: Angels. Porch windows (1887). Subjects: Angels. Almquist's windows are described in the
Buildings of Wales series as lovely, and of a delicacy reminiscent of
Morris & Co., while Waters called his St Michael "magnificent".[57][58][59]
Mid Glamorgan
Merthyr Tydfil, St David's Church. A south window, two lights (1890). Subject:
St Tydfil and St David. This window is a collaboration between Almquist and
Henry Wilson.[52]
Ireland
County Kilkenny
Kilkenny,
St Canice's Cathedral. Three south chancel windows, each of one light (1902). Subject of the central lancet: St John and St Peter. Attributed to Almquist.[60]
Örebro,
Olaus Petri Church. South transept window, three lights. Subject:
the Passion of Christ. East window, three lights. Subject: Christ in Majesty, St Peter, and St Paul. Wall decorations in the choir.[62][63]
Örebro,
St Nicholas Church. A north window, three lights (1881). Subject: musical angel. East window. Subject: Scenes from the Life of Christ. South transept window. Subject: Scenes from the Life of Christ. Various other windows.[52][64]
^"Church of St Tysilio, Llantysilio, Denbighshire". Gwydr Lliw yng Nghymru/Stained Glass in Wales. Canolfan Uwchefrydiau Cymreig a Cheltaidd Prifysgol Cymru/University of Wales Centre for Advanced Welsh and Celtic Studies. 2011–2020. Retrieved 10 July 2020.
^"Carl Almquist (1848-1924)". Gwydr Lliw yng Nghymru/Stained Glass in Wales. Canolfan Uwchefrydiau Cymreig a Cheltaidd Prifysgol Cymru/University of Wales Centre for Advanced Welsh and Celtic Studies. 2011–2020. Retrieved 10 July 2020.
^Lloyd, Thomas; Orbach, Julian; Scourfield, Robert (2006).
Carmarthenshire and Ceredigion. The Buildings of Wales. New Haven: Yale University Press. p. 49.
ISBN0300101791. Retrieved 10 July 2020.
^Lawrence, David (n.d.).
"Kilkenny Cathedral St Canice W02". Gloine Stained Glass in the Church of Ireland. The Representative Church Body. Retrieved 10 July 2020.