A new stained glass window glows in Westminster Abbey’s north transept. The bold, somewhat-childlike piece is The Queen's Window — and the artist behind it is one David Hockney.
Commissioned to celebrate the reign of Elizabeth II, the artist — famed for paintings like A Bigger Splash, which hangs in Tate Britain — designed a country scene, set within his beloved Yorkshire. It incorporates his distinct colour palette of yellow, red, blue, pink, orange and greens.
Stained glass artists and craftspeople of York-based Barley Studio created the window using traditional techniques, working with the artist to translate his vision into glass.
Said Westminster Abbey, "The subject reflects The Queen as a countrywoman and her widespread delight in, and yearning for, the countryside."
The historic Abbey has a history of adding stained glass windows to its repertoire. In 1947, King George VI unveiled Hugh Easton's stunning stained Battle of Britain memorial window in the Lady Chapel. The last stained glass to be installed was also in the Lady Chapel, created by Hughie O'Donoghue in 2013.
