'The virtues of the noble Venetian' depicted in a painted glass window in the former house of John Ward Knowles, York, England


This scene is at the centre of a painted glass window in the former home of John Ward Knowles (1838-1931). He and his son, John Alder Knowles (1891-1961), were much respected artists who lived and worked in Stonegate, York. The Venetian scene in this image is surrounded by a Lilienstil design that includes the legend ' Better not to be at all than not to be noble'. The Art Nouveau window thereby links the aspiration of 'virtuousness' to the Venetian qualities of 'nobleness'.


Size: 2400px × 3600px
Location: 35 Stonegate, York, North Yorkshire, England, UK
Photo credit: © Peter J. Hatcher / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

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