Janet Gough describes the much-loved stained glass in England’s cathedrals. Starting with Canterbury Cathedral’s windows after Thomas Becket’s murder in 1170, we follow glass from the Middle Ages to modern times, including the tumultuous Reformation, the hugely productive nineteenth century, the Pre-Raphaelites, the Arts and Crafts Movement up to the innovative and thought-provoking glass still being commissioned by cathedrals.

Her talk, along with a new book, will explore the artistic beauty of stained glass, its role as a narrative medium, technical developments and its divine power over the centuries. The refraction of light through coloured glass emerges as an early form of mass communication that still inspires today.

The talk will be followed by book signing and sales of the accompanying paperback, Divine Light, the Stained Glass of England’s Cathedrals, published Kulturalis.