Saint Mary of Egypt and the Virgin and Child
Medallion
1670 (painted)
1670 (painted)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
This painted oval panel was probably commissioned by Anna Geilsbach as a marriage panel. It may have been in her home originally, or donated to her local church.
In the middle of the 16th century, new techniques for producing decorated glass were introduced. Glass paints known as 'enamels' were used to paint directly onto the glass, similar to painting onto a canvas. To produce the colours, metallic oxides were added to a glass frit mixture. The resulting colour range included delicate blues and greens, as we see here in this panel.
Most of what we know of the life of St Mary of Egypt comes from the Golden Legend, a compilation of the stories of saints' lives written about 1260. However, Mary appears in church art as early as the 9th century. She was, it seems, a prostitute who lived in Alexandria in Egypt, probably in the 5th century. Mary joined a group of pilgrims who were going to Jerusalem, but she was unable to enter the church of the Holy Sepulchre there because of her sins. She swore an oath to forsake her former life and live in the desert as a hermit. She is often depicted clothed only by her hair and with three loaves of bread, which fed her for 47 years in the desert.
In the middle of the 16th century, new techniques for producing decorated glass were introduced. Glass paints known as 'enamels' were used to paint directly onto the glass, similar to painting onto a canvas. To produce the colours, metallic oxides were added to a glass frit mixture. The resulting colour range included delicate blues and greens, as we see here in this panel.
Most of what we know of the life of St Mary of Egypt comes from the Golden Legend, a compilation of the stories of saints' lives written about 1260. However, Mary appears in church art as early as the 9th century. She was, it seems, a prostitute who lived in Alexandria in Egypt, probably in the 5th century. Mary joined a group of pilgrims who were going to Jerusalem, but she was unable to enter the church of the Holy Sepulchre there because of her sins. She swore an oath to forsake her former life and live in the desert as a hermit. She is often depicted clothed only by her hair and with three loaves of bread, which fed her for 47 years in the desert.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | Saint Mary of Egypt and the Virgin and Child (generic title) |
| Materials and techniques | Clear glass painted in enamels and yellow (silver) stain |
| Brief description | Clear glass painted with enamels and yellow (silver) stain depicting St Mary of Egypt and the Virgin and Child. German, dated 1670. |
| Physical description | Saint Mary of Egypt kneels before the Virgin Mary who holds the Christ Child |
| Dimensions |
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| Marks and inscriptions |
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| Gallery label | SAINT MARY OF EGYPT BEFORE THE VIRGIN AND CHILD
The inscription below records the marriage of Anna Geilsbach in 1670; in the centre is a shield with her initials.
Germany (probably Cologne), dated 1670
Museum no. 934-1907; bequeathed by Mrs Matilda Mary Wesley((PW) 2003) |
| Credit line | Bequeathed by Mrs Matilda Mary Wesley |
| Historical context | This painted oval panel was probably commissioned as a marriage panel by Anna Geilsbach. It may have been originally located in her home or donated to her local church. In the middle of the sixteenth century, new techniques for producing decorated glass were introduced. Glass paints known as 'enamels' were used to paint directly onto the glass; similar to painting onto a canvas. The colours were produced by adding metallic oxides to a glass frit mixture and the resulting colour range included delicate blues and greens as we seen here in this panel. Most of what we know of the Life of St Mary of Egypt comes from the mid 13th century Golden Legend. However, she does appear in church art as early as the 9th century. She was, it seems, a prostitute who lived in Alexandria in Egypt, probably in the 5th century. She decided to join a group of pilgrims who were going to Jerusalem. When Mary was unable to enter the Church of the Holy Cross in Jerusalem because of her sins, she swore an oath to God to forsake her former life and live in the desert as a hermit. She is often depicted clothed only by her hair and with three loaves of bread which she lived off of for 47 years in the desert. |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Summary | This painted oval panel was probably commissioned by Anna Geilsbach as a marriage panel. It may have been in her home originally, or donated to her local church. In the middle of the 16th century, new techniques for producing decorated glass were introduced. Glass paints known as 'enamels' were used to paint directly onto the glass, similar to painting onto a canvas. To produce the colours, metallic oxides were added to a glass frit mixture. The resulting colour range included delicate blues and greens, as we see here in this panel. Most of what we know of the life of St Mary of Egypt comes from the Golden Legend, a compilation of the stories of saints' lives written about 1260. However, Mary appears in church art as early as the 9th century. She was, it seems, a prostitute who lived in Alexandria in Egypt, probably in the 5th century. Mary joined a group of pilgrims who were going to Jerusalem, but she was unable to enter the church of the Holy Sepulchre there because of her sins. She swore an oath to forsake her former life and live in the desert as a hermit. She is often depicted clothed only by her hair and with three loaves of bread, which fed her for 47 years in the desert. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | 934-1907 |
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| Record created | September 21, 2005 |
| Record URL |
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