Lighting Observation 10

1) 2012-04-08, 10:15 AM, The National Cathedral, Washington DC

2) OBJECTIVE DESCRIPTION: Light through the stained glass windows above the knave hitting a black safety net strung above everybody’s heads.

3) I chose to sit in the rear balcony of the cathedral to be able to take it in all at once.  Of course the building is packed— it’s Easter sunday in one of the largest cathedrals in te United States.  I was dissapointed to see the expansive black netting covering the ceiling of the cathedral: this is a gothic cathedral, a structure designed for great shafts of light to fill the building.  Because of the repairs above, however, they had to protect the general public from falling gargoyles or something like that.  The color and the light of the stained glass above was still visible, but instead of falling to the people and stonework below, the shifting patterns of light played out across the netting above.  One of the best things about stained glass in the morning is you can physically see the sun moving across the sky as the colors change, bend, and shift before you.

Be the first to leave a comment. Don’t be shy.

You must be logged in to post a comment.