Edward Burne-Jones - Women bringing children to the presence of Christ

two, one inscribed u.l.: HILLHEAD/ Christ blessing children/ picture in upper portion of lights/ margin marked AA represents mullion; the other inscribed on the reverse: margin marked AA represents mullion/ HILLHEAD/ Christ blessing children/ picture in upper portion of lights/ FULL SIZE

black and white chalk on brown paper
one 153 by 52cm., 50 by 20½in.; the other 125 by 51cm.; 49¼ by 20in
http://www.sothebys.com/app/live/lot/LotDetail.jsp?sale_number=L07131&live_lot_id=15

The two windows tell the story described in the gospels of Sts Matthew, Mark and Luke when Jesus welcomed children to come to him. Matthew 9:13-15 gives the text:

'Then they brought unto Him little children, that he should put His hands on them, and pray: and the disciples rebuked them. But Jesus said, Suffer little children, and forbid them not to come unto me: for of such is the Kingdom of Heaven. And He laid His hands on them, and departed hence.'

The two cartoons are for the main panels of the upper register of the two-light window, with the figure of Christ on the left side and the Women bringing Children on the right. The window is illustrated in Albert Charles Sewter, The Stained Glass of William Morris and his Circle, two volumes, New Haven, 1974-5, II, pl. 612. Burne-Jones recorded payment for his designs for stained glass at Hillhead in his account book in 1892. The actual glass was completed by 1893.