Genealogy Window - Jesse Tree
Phipps, Ball & Burnham 1920
13' × 5 1/2'
The Porter Memorial
DESCRIPTION: Jesse Tree, the centerpiece of the magnificent lapis lazuli hued clerestory windows of the west wall, is divided into three panels and depicts the earthly family of Jesus.
At the bottom of the central panel of this intricately detailed window, Jesse is found asleep with one hand grasping a grape vine. Above him is his son, King David. The topmost figure of the central panel is the Holy Mother holding the Christ Child. The lowest figure of the right panel represents David's son, King Solomon; the middle figure is Solomon's son, King Roboam; the topmost is Abias, son of Roboam. In the left panel, the middle figure is Asa, son of Abias; the lower figure is that of Jehoshaphat, son of Asa. At the top is Joseph, the husband of Mary. The artist has included the names of all except Mary and the Christ Child, who are singularly illuminated by an aureole. A grapevine, heavily laden with grapes, encircles each person portrayed, while two red-winged angels with banderoles, hover above the scene. As the light lowers in the western sky, the window becomes an orchestration of color, glowing in shades of blue and purple.
SYMBOLISM: In biblical stories, the Jesse Tree represents the successive generations which culminated in Jesus. Jesse was the father of David, from whose royal lineage the Messiah was prophesized to be born: "And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse and a Branch shall grow out of his roots." (Isaiah 11:1)
The metaphoric references to the grape vine found in the Bible, particularly in the Old Testament, are many. The grape vine was cultivated in the Holy Land since the earliest of times. People of the region were so dependent on its products that ti became a cultural undercurrent. In the Jesse Tre window, grape vines, lush with grapes, encircle each figure, symbolizing the fruit produced by the single vine of Jesse. The Jesse Tree, representing the genealogy of Jesus, is often used during Advent as a symbolic vehicle to anticipate the arrival of Christ.
MEMORIAL: Among the many members of the Porter family was Dr. Joseph Y. Porter, one of the foremost experts on sanitation and hygiene in the United States and the first state health officer in Florida. He is noted for his work in controlling and preventing yellow fever, a frequent cause of death in the Florida Keys, a breeding ground for mosquitoes. He was married to Louisa Curry and their children included William Randolph Porter, married to Grace Dorgan, remembered in Wedding Feast at Cana (Window #109); Jennie Roberta, married to W. W. Mountjay; and Dr. J. Y. Porter, married to Beulah Brantley. Other family members are remembered in Nativity Adoration (Window #112).
Source: The Golden Cockerel: The Art, Symbolism & History of the Stained Glass Windows, St. Paul's Episcopal Church, Key West, Florida by Winifred Shine Fryzel.
To continue the tour, look at the Genealogy window to the left of this window.
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