Poor Man's Bible

The term Poor Man's Bible has come into use in the modern era to describe works of art within churches and cathedrals which either individually or collectively have been created to illustrate the teachings of the Bible for a largely illiterate population. These artworks may take the form of carvings, paintings, mosaics or stained-glass windows. In some churches a single artwork, such as a stained-glass window, has the role of Poor Man's Bible, while in others, the entire church is decorated with a complex biblical narrative that unites in a single scheme.[1]

The window has a simple round-arched top. The stained glass is supported by a lead armature of squares and circles which divide it into many separate pictures. The upper pictures show the story of the Three Wise Men. The lower part has an assortment of biblical scenes including "The Sower". The background colour is deep blue.
The Poor Man's Bible window at Canterbury Cathedral, 13th century, reconstructed with fragments of perhaps two other windows
  1. ^ Walter P. Snyder, Ask the Pastor: Poor Man's Bible (1999)