11th December 1925 — 25th October 2021
It is with deep sadness that we learned of the passing of stained glass artist Patrick Reyntiens OBE on the 25th of October 2021.
Reyntiens was one of the most influential and extraordinary stained glass artists of the 20th and 21st century. He is renowned among the stained glass community and the wider art world, especially for his innovative painting techniques and styles, and is often described as pioneering.
After studying at Edinburgh College of Art, Reyntiens started collaborating on projects with friend and fellow artist John Piper, beginning with Oundle School Chapel, but best known for the monumental Baptistry Window at Coventry Cathedral. Between the 1960s and 1970s, together with his late wife and painter Anne Bruce, Reyntiens ran an international Art Centre at Burleighfield House in Buckinghamshire.
Work by Reyntiens is found at numerous locations throughout Britain, and also in Washington National Cathedral in the USA. It can be admired by visitors to the Victoria and Albert Museum, London and the Stained Glass Museum, Ely.
Fig. 1 Benjamin Britten Memorial Window, at the Church of St Peter and St Paul, Aldeburgh, Suffolk. Designed by John Piper, painted and made by Patrick Reyntiens, 1979-1980. The window depicts three of Britten’s operas, The Prodigal Son, Curlew River and Burning Fiery Furnace. Photo: © Christopher Parkinson.
Fig. 2 The Pilgrimage Window at the Church of St Alban Protomartyr, Romford, London Borough of Havering. Designed and painted by Patrick Reyntiens, made by John Reyntiens, 2002. Photo: © Christopher Parkinson.
