Author Talk – 'The Rediscovery of a Medieval Masterpiece: John Thornton’s Great East Window' (2018)

Following the publication of her book The Great East Window at York Minster: An English Masterpiece, Sarah Brown (University of York and Director, the York Glaziers Trust) gave a public talk at York Explore Library and Archive, entitled 'The Rediscovery of a Medieval Masterpiece: John Thornton’s Great East Window'. This ticketed event on Thursday 31 May 2018 was sold out.

Introduction from the Explore York website:

Join Sarah Brown, Director and Chief Executive of the York Glaziers Trust as she talks about the conservation of York Minster’s Great East Window.

The conservation of York Minster’s Great East Window of 1405-8 between 2011 and 2017 has been not only one of Europe’s most ambitious conservation projects, but also an opportunity to explore one of Europe’s greatest medieval masterpieces. The Great East Window has been described as ‘England’ Sistine chapel of stained glass’, and this presentation will examine these claims, while revealing the work of the conservators who have safeguarded its future.

Sarah Brown is a national expert on medieval ecclesiastical architecture, stained glass history and conservation, and is the author of many books and articles in the field. She is president of the British Corpus Vitrearum Medii Aevi and is the General Secretary of the International Scientific Committee for the Conservation of Stained Glass. Sarah works as a Senior Lecturer specialising in stained glass, its history and conservation within the History of Art Department at the University of York, and has since 2008 also been Director and Chief Executive of the York Glaziers Trust, responsible for the care of the stained glass of York Minster.

The Great East Window, York Minster. From an original photo by Jules & Jenny, https://www.flickr.com/photos/jpguffogg/43065344482, reproduced under CC licence BY 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/