In this piece, I wanted to expand on Andrew’s character and story while retaining some of the stylistic features of his window in the castle. The circular shape was important. In my design, I pursued the idea of the window as a portal - as the window is placed where the Lord and Lady of the castle would have prayed. I imagined the window as a portal to a spiritual realm. The swirling nature of my design reflects this. Andrew is at the centre, and different elements from his story whirl around the outside, pulling us into his story.
Andrew
Andrew is recorded as Jesus’ first disciple. He became a follower of Christ, then introduced his brother Simon to Jesus. The patron saint of Scotland, he is shown in the Dean Castle‘s stained glass window with the cross of his martyrdom.
To the left, we see Andrew with John the Baptist. Andrew followed John before he became Jesus’ first disciple.
I included several animals in this piece, both for symbolic purposes, and to reflect the country park outside. With the ram and the goose, I deviate from traditional Andrew imagery - neither are particularly connected to this apostle, but there is a reason for each here.
I was keen to include an animal synonymous with the Dean Park - the geese always make their presence known in the caste grounds. Ancient Celtic Christians used the term An Geadh-Glas (wild goose) to describe the Holy Spirit. This creates a nice connection with Andrew, the patron saint of Scotland.
The ram corresponds to Aries, the first sign of the zodiac, so symbolizes Andrew’s status as the ‘first-called’ disciple. There is also a connection with the ram’s strength and aggression, as the name Andrew means ’strong’, ‘manly, or ’brave’.
The third animal shown in the piece is the fish. Andrew was a fisherman, and Jesus’ disciples were invited to become ‘fishers of men’. 2 fish are shown held by a young boy, along with 5 loaves, representing the feeding of the five thousand. Andrew played a role in this miracle, as it was he who pointed out the young boy to Jesus, who then transformed his supplies into enough food to provide for the multitudes. Again, Andrew serves as the one who identifies, the one who is the first to notice.