He began working on the design in 1857 and the window was produced by the London glass firm Powell & Sons in 1861. The window shows Christ dressed as a shepherd bringing home lost sheep. The pared-back realist manner was revolutionary for the time, showing the influence of Burne-Jones's mentor, Dante Gabriel Rossetti. Burne-Jones was born in Birmingham in 1833 and became a central figure in the second generation of Pre-Raphaelite artists. He later designed windows for four churches in his home city, including four large windows for the cathedral. Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery owns the largest collection of Burne-Jones's work in the world, and The Good Shepherd will now be shown alongside some of his greatest and most spectacular achievements.

This work was acquired with assistance from the Wolfson Foundation.

Provenance

Commissioned by Reverend Henry Hamlet Dobney, 1861 for the Congregational Church, Maidstone; United Reform Church, 1972; Southern Synod United Reform Church Trust