This two-light window juxtaposes parable and moral exemplum, pairing the Foolish Virgins (left) with the Good Samaritan (right). The scenes are framed by richly patterned Gothic canopies and set beneath tracery incorporating a dove in the quatrefoil ⓘ, reinforcing the window’s didactic intent.

In the left light, the Foolish Virgins are shown clustered together, their extinguished lamps signalling spiritual unpreparedness. Their compressed grouping and downturned expressions contrast pointedly with the expectation of vigilance implied by the parable. Colour is used to differentiate figures while maintaining visual unity, with cool blues and greens offset by warmer accents.

The right light depicts the Good Samaritan in a moment of intimate compassion, bending to bind the wounds of the injured man. The physical closeness of the figures, the Samaritan’s enveloping gesture, and the restrained background focus attention on the act of mercy itself, presenting charity as active and embodied.

Executed in 1860 by Ward & Hughes ⓘ, 1 the window exemplifies the firm’s mid-Victorian narrative clarity and moral legibility. By pairing a warning against negligence with a positive model of charitable action, the glazing offers a balanced moral programme suited to a parish setting, inviting reflection on both inward preparedness and outward compassion.

• 1. Fragile Images Post-medieval stained glass in Northamptonshire