The Ascension

The three lancet-shaped windows above the altar in the central chancel form a triptych composition of the Ascension of Christ. This window, perhaps the finest at Tiffany Window at Trinity, contains an unusually large variety of types of glass, and incorporates some of the best drapery glass Tiffany ever used.  The painter of the window may have been Frederick Wilson, one of the lead painters of Tiffany's Studio. 

The window tells the story of the Ascension of Christ at Bethany, the moment when the resurrected Christ ascended into heaven as recorded in the New Testament. The taller central window depicts Christ, dressed in a flowing white robe, in the upper center just as he has begun his ascent into heaven.  His toes are slightly visible beneath the tip of his robe.  The dove of the Holy Spirit beams over his head. The Madonna looks up at the event from below. The chancel of Trinity Church faces south where the light is strongest at midday. Strong sunlight causes the figure of Christ to dissolve into ethereal splendor as he rises upward through stormy clouds.  The more somber light of the afternoon or on overcast days emphasizes the darker rich grey, blue, and rose tones of the clouds, giving a sense of foreboding, suggesting to the viewer the awe and promise of the second coming of Christ. 

The two flanking windows depict the eleven apostles (named in Acts 1:12-14), five on the right and six on the left.  The figures cluster in the lower and outer portions of each window. Their postures and facial expressions reflect awe and amazement at witnessing the divine event of Christ's ascent into heaven. An angel appears in the top of each flanking lancet. The figures are especially exquisitely wrought, with multi-colored textured wings and expressive faces.

The congregation gave the window in memory of Major Henderson Bell (1826-1899), who for thirty-eight years served as warden or a vestryman of the Church