Installed: 1903

Memorial name: Luce Memorial Window

Dedicated to: Matthew Luce (1843-1902)

Location: Main floor, right side

This window presents another unconventional interpretation of an important episode in the life of Jesus, the Sermon on the Mount. Jesus is pictured in the foreground standing before a tree. Behind him, the expansive landscape and meandering river, emblematic of the “river of life,” suggest he is positioned on elevated ground. His downward glance implies an audience before him. His right hand is raised, which is a typical depiction of Jesus while teaching. His outstretched left hand is a common gesture signifying the bestowal of wisdom, which is often used in images of the Buddha, but rarely with Jesus. Similar to the rendering in “Madonna of the Flowers” (window 1), the theme of humankind’s unity with nature is emphasized by the tree that echoes Jesus’ posture and the overlapping of the branches with his raised hand.

This window is dedicated to Matthew Luce (1843-1902) who was a Back Bay resident and a member of Arlington Street Church. Luce came from a New Bedford whaling family and moved to Boston as a teen to apprentice with a local manufacturing company. In his early twenties, he started his own firm and became one of the leading wool merchants in the United States. The donor inscription for this window is heartwarmingly simple – it was given “by his friends.”

Glenn Kulbako Photography