Daily Bread (Marks & Spencer) Window
This mesmerising window is a vibrant retelling of the Last Supper, when Jesus Christ shared a meal with his disciples before His Crucifixion.
Interesting facts
- The Daily Bread Window is one of the cathedral’s more modern installations.
- Most of the windows in Durham Cathedral were destroyed during the Reformation or the English Civil Wars in the 17th century. Many of the windows were then replaced during the reign of Queen Victoria.
- Durham's branch of Marks & Spencer gifted the window to the local community in 1984 to commemorate their 100th anniversary.
- Glass artist Mark Angus from Combe Down in Bath designed the window.
- Hartley, Woods and Co., based in nearby Sunderland and one of the oldest glass-making companies in England, crafted the antique-looking glass.
Things to look for
Colouring spiritual nourishment
Angus wanted his design to appeal to a broad range of people.
The colourful scene is a birds-eye view of Jesus and his twelve apostles at the Last Supper. The 13 sketch-type circles each represent a person, with Jesus sitting at the head of the table. Angus used blue at the top to represent the sky and green below to represent the earth. Purple is often used to represent royalty and spirituality and Angus used it in the scene’s border. The dramatic red through the middle represents the blood of Jesus and the yellow dots on the table represent the broken bread and also signify the Body of Christ.
Layers of meaning
On the left, near the bottom, is an apostle who appears much murkier than the rest and slightly edged backwards away from the table. This shadowy figure is Judas Iscariot, who betrayed Jesus by identifying him to the religious authorities, leading to his arrest and death.
If you look closely, you can see a small cross painted over Jesus and, in each corner of the table, representations of the nails that held him to the cross.
The dynamic use of colour offers a sense of hope, highlighting Angus’ theme of change and transformation.
Follow the guided tour
You’re in: The Nave You’re at: Daily Bread (Marks & Spencer) Window Next stop: The Dividing Line
- Walk back to the Font and face down the cathedral towards the Rose Window
- Look down to the floor where you will see a black stone line